Memories
by PhantomTwilighter2009
Summary: What if Erik and Christine had met before she ever came to the Opera house? What if they had met in Sweden when Christine was just a small girl? This shall be an EC phan fic so there shall be little, but still, Raoul bashing. Enjoy!
1. Leavings and Promises

**So, here is my 2nd fic. I know what you are all thinking, "OMG she's not finishing the first!" and I am here to put your fears to rest. I simply just want to start another story and I promise this will not interfere with Love's Music. This story is going to be different, but its still going to involve our favorite masked Phantom and our daring Soprano. And now I proudly present my new story, Memories! Okay, so I normally wouldn't do this, but this story is rated M so for those people who don't like M, I'm sorry. I will warn before I do anything. Enjoy! ^.^**

**Memories**

"Will I ever get to see you again?" little 4 year old Christine asked her only best friend, even though he was 10 years older than her. She raised her teary, innocent, brown eyes so that she could meet his soft gold ones. Her friend never told her his name, but she nicknamed him Masque because of the beautiful and mysterious white porcelain mask he always wore over the right side of his face.

"You shall see me very soon, Ange de L'algue." he smiled her favorite smile. A sad grin crossed the pure features of the child. He hated to see her so sad and he knew that her sadness was only going to escalate: her father was slowly dying. He had looked at the poor man; his sickness was going to be slow and painful.

"Masque, what are you thinking about?" the little Daae's girls voice broke his concentration. Her little hand rested on his unmasked cheek. He smiled at the simple gesture of the child, but it faded as it traveled to the right.

"Nothing, Ange, but do not touch this," he pointed towards the mask, "beneath this mask is a monster."

"Monster? I'm not afraid."

"Right now you aren't, but if you do see, you shall be very frightened."

"I promise I won't! Masque, you're my only friend. Please!" she jumped up and down; her brown curls bouncing. He sighed, there was no way around this and he eventually knew it was going to come to this.

"Do you truly want to see?" his hand hesitated. Tears filled his eyes. He shouldn't be doing this, but it was for little Christine and she would forget in a few years anyways.

"Yes." she whispered. He pulled away the porcelain and awaited the shriek of terror that was to come out of the poor child's mouth, but that scream never came. Christine's eyes grew big at the mangled sight. She reached her trembling hand and rubbed up and down the deformed cheek.

"Are you afraid?" he asked, horrified to find out her answer.

"No."

"Really?" tears fell from his eyes. Most of the children who asked him to remove his mask usually ran away. This girl definitely was strange...

"Why are you crying?" Christine asked worriedly. Had she done something wrong? Did she hurt his feelings by touching his bad cheek?

"Because I'm happy. You're the _only_ person who has ever looked at me, besides my mother."

"Wow. Masque, can we still be best friends? Even when we're as old as Papa?" her innocence gleamed on her face or were those tears?

"Didn't I tell you already? Of course we can be best friends. I'll miss you, Ange." he pulled Christine into a tight hug until he heard Giovanni call for him,

"My boy, it is time to leave!"

"Coming sir! I have to leave now. Tell your father thank you for letting us stay with you and I promise I'll come back next summer. Don't cry." a strong smile spread over his features. Christine was going to miss him so much! She would not have anyone to play with besides that annoying Raoul boy, but that didn't matter!

"Au revior, Ange." Masque said sadly, replaced his mask, and walked back to his master.

"Goodbye min Musikängel" she whispered as she watched the boat sail off into the distance. The only thing she had to remember him by was a beautiful red rose with a black silk ribbon tied around it. Then the strangest thing happened: she heard the lullaby Masque had always sung for her,

_You seem distressed,_

_but, my child,_

_your fears shall be put to rest._

_Don't cry anymore,_

_for I am here,_

_to wrap my arms around your delicate heart._

_So, now I sing you this lullaby,_

_so that when the time comes to say good-bye,_

_You shall know I will not be far,_

_but very, very near._

Christine turned around and saw her father, smiling at his angel.

"Papa!" she cried and buried her curly head in his face. Her father felt the hot tears of his daughter on his neck and worried.

"My Little Lotte, what is the matter?"

"Masque, he left. He promised to come back. Papa, he was my best friend."

"What about Raoul? I thought you two got along well?"

"We do, but there was something special about Masque that I'll never forget." Christine whispered tiredly. Papa looked at the sun setting over Sweden. He wished that he could have tried harder to convince Giovanni to let his apprentice stay, but he would not hear of it.

"Darling, its time to go inside. You look sleepy." he cooed in her ears. His pretty Little Lotte simple nodded her head as sleep took the girl into the safe, peaceful realm of dreams.

Papa chuckled and kissed her chestnut curls, just like the ones her mother had.

The boy looked over the bow of the ship to see his only friend get smaller and smaller.

"Erik, you know you could've stayed there. Monsieur Daae was offering you a position as his violin apprentice." Giovanni said and startled the him.

"I know, but Sir, I wish to stay with you. I feel comfortable with masonry, but I will miss the little girl though."

"I saw she took your mask off, was that of your own free will?"

"Yes, Sir. She asked to see my face and she did not run or scream. She made me feel so...." Erik was at a loss for words. There were so many emotions running through him that it was hard to figure them all out.

"Happiness?"

"Exactly!"

"Why do you think you'll miss her?" Giovanni asked. The young boy had never really been this open to him since they met. This was a rare opportunity and he wasn't going to miss it.

"She played with me, I composed music that she loved so much, I loved how she would laugh when I would make her things, how she spoke of the Angel of Music."

"Are you really going to go back and visit her?"

"Of course I am! I promised her and Erik Destler never breaks a promise." he said, slightly offended. Giovanni laughed at this. He had never seen Erik joke like this before. The boy was truly changing and he was sure the little Daae child was helping a lot more than what Erik realized.

Erik turned away from his master to stare at the distant shore, but his acute eyesight spotted Monsieur Daae and Christine, him holding her as her curls spread wildly across her sleeping face. He felt a strange, new emotion well up inside him. He couldn't yet identify it, but to Giovanni, Monsieur Daae, and the annoying child Raoul, they could all see that what Erik was feeling, was pure, untainted love.

**Let me know how you guys like this! Do you guys think this should be a one shot or a story because it could work either way. So send me some feedback and I'll go with the majority and like I said earlier, this _DOESN'T_ mean that I'm going to quit my other story. I just maybe a little slow on updates, but nothing to seriously freak out over. God Bless! REVIEW!!!**

**OH! I put one Swedish phrase in there because not everyone knows that Christine is Swedish so I put in _Good-bye my Music Angel_. Erik also says in French, _Angel of the Sea_ since Christine lives by the ocean, or the sea, in this fic. REVIEW! Thank you!**

**Au revior!**

**^.^**


	2. Reunion and Issues

**Okay, I just watched something sad and I have no idea who this will affect this chapter. Thank you to all the wonderful people who actually read and reviewed chapter 1 and I shall continue to do this and if I wasn't then these A/N notes shouldn't be here! I'm so tired....whatever. Chapter 2 of Memories and lets go! ^.^**

**Memories**

Christine saw the boat coming closer and closer to the shore and she jumped in excitement; Papa was coming home with Masque! She could barely contain her joy! Her and Masque had kept in touch by writing to each other at least once a week. He was currently still with Herr Giovanni, but he sounded so sad in the last letter.

Dear Ange,

Its always so nice to write to you. Monsieur Giovanni has his daughter here. I know I shouldn't say this, but she...there is something about her that I can't stand, but don't worry your head over my petty problems. You're only 5 after all. I hope this letter shall find you and your wonderful Papa well, especially your Papa. Herr Giovanni's health is worrying me so much. He is so sick, Ange, I don't know what to do. And here, I find myself again rambling about my own problems. I hope to see you in a week and Happy Birthday. I have a special gift for you when I arrive.

From the boy with the mask,

Erik_  
_

Christine folded the letter up and shoved it into her apron pocket. She knew she was only 5, but she understood what adults talked about and her Papa had taught her so much! Oh how she loved both her Papa and Masque! Why couldn't the silly boat come faster?

"Christine?" a voice came from behind her, but it was not the voice of her distant friend. Instead, it was Raoul de Chagny. He was 6 and came to visit every summer because he agreed to learn to be a musician from her Papa.

"Yes, Raoul?"

"Will you come play with me? You're always looking out at the sea and you don't even know how to swim."

Oh, how this boy could be annoying! Christine did to know how to swim! Her Papa taught her himself, but she was definitely out of practice. Maybe Masque could help her when he arrived....

"Please come with me. I'm lonely."

"No, I'm waiting for Papa. He's been gone a long time and I want to see him again."

"He has only been gone for a few weeks."

"But that is a long time!" she pouted. Her rosy cheeks soon became pale as tears entered her eyes. Since her Papa had left to go to Rome and bring Masque back for the summer, she had been terribly lonely and was forced to stay at the De Chagny manor. It was the biggest house Christine had ever been in, but Raoul insisted that the manor was only one of the smaller houses that his family owned.

"Really? You mean you have houses bigger than this?" she asked one day while the two were sitting in the garden.

"This is super tiny compared to the house in Italy! Father takes me and Philippe there at least once a year. Maybe one day you can come with us, if your Papa agrees."

"Maybe."

Christine was pulled back into reality as Raoul made a noise signaling he was annoyed and long, thin arms picked her up from behind.

"I've missed you very much, Ange." the familiar musical voice rang in her ear.

"Masque! You're finally here and you did keep your promise! You did! You did!" she giggled. He was back! She wriggled around in his arms until she could face him. He looked the same as he when he had left the previous summer: thick black hair, warm gold eyes, soft smile, his porcelain mask still lay in place.

"I told you before that I would be back." Erik sighed happily. He loved how she still used his nickname even though he told her in a letter a long time ago that his true name was Erik.

I don't care, honestly, what your first name is! I like calling you Masque as long as you enjoy me calling you so!

"Ange, do you want your surprise?"

"Really? Please let me see it!" Christine flashed the biggest grin she could produce. She felt so perfect, like nothing could possibly make this day any better.

"Alright. Now, I need you to close your eyes and turn around."

"Why?"

"Do you want your surprise or not?"

Christine immediately obeyed and closed her eyes tight and turned so she was facing the field. Like when Masque had picked her up from behind, big, strong, familiar arms wrapped gently around her waist.

"Has my Little Lotte forgotten her Papa already?"

"Papa!" she nearly screamed and threw her arms around his sun tanned neck. His brown eyes glittered as he held his only daughter close to him. Erik had told him the truth about his illness and, at the best, he would only live to see Christine turn 7.

"How I have missed you, Lotte. Have you been a good girl for Raoul's family?"

"Course I was, Papa. Or at least I tried to be." Christine looked guiltily at her Papa. She didn't want to tell him how she refused to play with Raoul just a few minutes ago. Speaking of Raoul, where did he run off to? She was supposed to be looking after him because he really didn't know his way around this part of town.

"What did you do?" Papa asked as gently as he could.

"I was supposed to be looking out for Raoul because he's never been to this part of town before and now I don't see him anywhere."

"We'll find him. Don't worry about it, alright?"

"Alright. I'm so happy your home, Papa." Christine whispered into his shoulder, tears coming out of her big brown eyes.

"And I'm happy to be home. Gratulera med dagen."

"Thank you. Masque, do you want to see the wildflowers?"

"I would love to." Erik smiled and took Christine's tiny hand in his larger, thin one, hoping one day that they could be like this forever.

^.^

Raoul de Chagny stomped through the woods angrily. Christine was supposed to be _his_ friend! Not some masked _freak_ she had met last year. He had known Christine since she was very very small and they had always been friends. His father even told him that they had an arranged marriage! Whatever that meant....

Raoul thought back to the day when the freak first showed up in the lazy little Swedish port town.

_He and Christine sat in the fields that overlooked the dark ocean. The beautiful wildflowers were in bloom and Raoul wanted to impress Christine by showing her how much he knew about plants, but she got bored, and fast._

"_Can't we do something else, please? Plus, you're getting all the flowers confused." she said in a tired voice. Even though Raoul knew he was supposed to be kind to the girl, she was so selfish and rude sometimes! All she ever wanted to do was to hear stories from her Papa and sing or hear her Papa play on his violin. **She** was the one who was boring._

"_Little Lotte, can you come here for a minute?" Herr Daae called. Raoul had grown to like the old man and enjoyed being his apprentice. He was so kind and gentle; if only his daughter were more like that then maybe..._

"_Yes, Papa! Raoul, do you want to come with me?" Christine asked as she stood up. Her long, chestnut brown curls were pulled into a tight bun, but a few had escaped as the children played, her cheeks were slightly red and tan from the sun._

"_Fine." he grumbled and stood from his spot in the shade. How could Christine stand being in the sun all the time? _

_The walk to the Daae cottage wasn't very long from where the children were sitting, but, yet again, Raoul thought is was the longest walk he had ever been on._

"_Come on, Raoul! Its not that hard. Papa and I have been on tougher." Christine giggled as she skipped along the dirt road. The sky was a perfect shade of blue and the clouds looked as if they were brush strokes from a paint brush. Christine loved this time of year; it meant that her birthday was coming up soon and that Papa usually had guests staying at the cottage. A sea breeze brought a little mist that hit her face gently. "It can't possibly get any better than this." she innocently thought and broke into a run._

"_Christine! Don't run! At least be careful!" Raoul shouted after her. Here she goes again being selfish! Leaving him behind as she runs off to meet her precious Papa and whatever guests she has staying with them._

_Christine reached the cottage in little time, but didn't see her Papa on the porch like he always is when she comes back._

"_Papa? Papa, where are you?" _

"_In here, Little Lotte." his kind voice called from inside. She hurriedly dashed into the little sitting room and found an older gentleman and a boy....who wore a....mask? _

"_There you are! Usually my girl is faster than this, unless you went farther than I instructed?"_

"_I would never, Papa! Raoul is just being slow." Christine replied, scrunching her nose at the thought of the annoying boy. Her Papa laughed and extended his strong arms out towards her. She gladly ran to them and buried her curly head into his shoulder. Christine loved being with her Papa more than anything and she prayed that they could always stay like this._

"_Sorry for my rudeness. This is my only child, Christine. Darling, these are our guests: Herr Giovanni and,"_

"_You may just call me Monsieur, Herr Daae." the boy replied. His voice was so beautiful to the little girl! It sounded like the large bells that made the deepest ring in the church where she went to Mass every Sunday._

"_Very well. Go ahead and say hello, dear." Papa encouraged. Christine was sometimes shy around new people, especially the ones that barely knew how to speak her native tongue._

"_God dag till du" she whispered. The boy, Monsieur, seemed to ease, as if there were a heavy weight on his skinny shoulders, but before Christine could ask him, Raoul burst through the door, rather rudely._

"_I am sorry to interrupt, Herr Daae. Christine, what did your Papa need?" _

_His face was flushed and his clothes that were always spick and span, was now covered in a decent layer of dirt._

_Christine heard a cough and saw Monsieur's tension return. Was he not used to people? If so, then Christine had to become his friend! Nobody shouldn't have a friend._

"_Papa just needed me to meet our newest guests: Herr Giovanni and Monsieur." she nodded her head towards each person._

"_Its nice to meet you. I am Raoul de Chagny. I am Herr Daae's apprentice." Raoul said, suddenly his aristocratic upbringing began to kick in. Christine reluctantly wiggled out of her Papa's loving embrace and walked into the kitchen and out the back door. She hated it when Raoul had to become sophisticated; it almost made her feel low because of the way he acted towards her and her Papa. She sometimes could hear Raoul shouting or bragging about how much money his family had and how poor the Daae family was._

_Christine started crying. Crying because of how she hated all of this: Raoul, her Papa being plagued with frequent illness. She decided she was tired of all this and ran into the woods. Why couldn't Raoul be nice to her family for once? She was always kind and respectful at his home, even towards his servants when he treated them like trash. Christine thanked heaven that she wasn't born an aristocrat and be mean towards other people._

_Back in the siting room, Herr Giovanni had gotten into conversation with Raoul about Raoul's summer home here and how it was built, or something like that, but Erik really wanted to know where the little Daae girl had run off to. _

_Erik made his move to stand when Giovanni's head shot up._

"_Boy, where are you going?"_

"_Outside. I promise to be back soon. Förlåta mig." he said, almost above a whisper._

"_Of course and if you find Christine, tell her to stay out of the woods, please." Herr Daae asked. The woods were full of bandits, robbers, thieves, rapists....to put it shortly he didn't want his only precious child going in there._

_Erik nodded his head and walked out the front door. This was going to be difficult. If he wanted to find the child, he had to think like a 4 year old. Erik never truly got to enjoy his childhood so this was going to be a lot harder than he originally thought._

"_Christine. Where are you Christine." he called gently into the field of wildflowers where he saw her earlier with the De Chagny boy. "That boy is respectful, but a definite pain in the ass."_

_Erik searched everywhere he could think of; he asked neighbors where Christine usually played, whom she played with, what her nicknames where. There was one nickname that he remembered her father calling her, Little Lotte. He was thoroughly familiar with the fairytale; maybe if he sang her little pieces of it then she would come! It couldn't hurt to try at least, but then a thought crossed his mind: the woods._

_Christine sat down by a tree trunk, still crying, but by now she had forgotten why she was crying in the first place. It was something about Raoul and she got so upset that she ran into the woods and now she was completely lost._

"_I'm so sorry, Papa. I came here and its my fault I'm lost." she whimpered into her cream colored play apron. Stupid, stupid, stupid! She even knew better than to come into the woods and now she was going to pay for it. Her Papa had to come for her though, he had to notice sometime that his Little Lotte was missing._

_A twig snapped and Christine's head twisted towards the sound._

"_Hello? I-Is anyone t-there?"_

_No reply._

"_Please, if there is anyone. R-Raoul! I-if this is y-you its not f-funny!" _

_No reply._

_Christine was truly frightened now! Raoul had done this kind of thing once before, but it was never this extreme. Big tears rolled down her pale cheeks, despite the tan that the sun had given her from sitting out that afternoon. Then, she heard humming; it was the tune her Papa had always sang to her, about Little Lotte and the Angel of Music._

_Little Lotte let her mind wander  
Little Lotte thought: Am I fonder of dolls  
or of goblins or shoes?_

_Was? Was someone singing to her? Had someone wandered into the woods and was singing to her?_

_or of riddles of frocks__ ?_

_or of chocolates__ ?_

_Someone __**had**__ followed her into the woods! But who would be brave enough to do that?_

"_Little Lotte?" a familiar, musical voice called. Christine froze in place. That wasn't her Papa's voice nor was it Raoul's. Whose was it?! Why couldn't she remember?_

_A hand rested on her shoulder and she let out a horrible scream. It was one of the horrible me her Papa always talked about. The awful, foul men who lived in the woods!_

"_Let me go! Papa! Papa!" _

"_Shush, calm down. Be quiet." the deep, musical voice became soothing. Christine slowly turned around to see Monsieur. He was the one who followed her out here? He was the one who sang her favorite song?_

"_Monsieur?" her little trembling voice escaped her deathly pale lips._

"_Do you wish to go home, Mademoiselle Daae?" he asked, pulling the frightened child into his long, thin arms. Erik felt her head nod and stood up, but his sharp eyes caught something, or someone, moving behind the bushes._

"_I'm sorry, my dear, but I think home might have to wait just a little while longer."_

"_W-why?"_

"_We have some uninvited guests." Erik growled between clenched teeth. He didn't want to do anything to these men, but if it meant saving Herr Daae's daughter, than he might have to do what he had done to Javert nearly 4 years ago: kill another human being._

**ITS ATTACK OF THE CLIFFIES! OMG WHAT EVER SHALL YOU DO! . I'm such an awful person, aren't I? I'm sorry I kept everything in flashback mode and I had so much fun playing with my little writing things for the letter clips. This has been the oddest thing I have written, but its turning out better than expected. A lot better. The next chapter is going to be a continuation of the flashback so it will be in NORMAL font, unless you think it would be too confusing and I'll keep it italicized. Thank you so much for reading! Review, I'm begging you! I need support! Or at least a few encouraging words....God bless and thanks again! **

**^.^**


	3. Safe and Princes

**Sorry about the ridiculously long wait for this update, but its here! My Great-Grandma was sent to the hospital, but has now been released so, yay! Okay, this is directed towards the people who also read Love's Music: My first fic is coming to a close. I feel as if I've been drawing it out too much and its also hard to write two different stories at the same time. I know this story is rated M and I know nothing has happened so far, but stuff will happen later on in the story, but I'm not going to say what the means. Here is the long awaited Chapter 3! Enjoy!**

**Memories**

_Erik stood perfectly still in the woods. Damn, what am I going to do? I have a crying child in my hands and that is like a giant sign saying, **come, rape me, kidnap me!**_

"_I s-should never have dis-disobeyed Papa! I'm an aw-awful daughter." Christine cried into Monsieur's strong, but thin, chest. She couldn't believe how thin he was and, yet, he could carry her as if she weighed nothing. How strange...._

"_Shh, Mademoiselle, there is someone here. I promise to get you home and back to your Papa safely." _

_Erik attempted to calm the terrified child in his arms. He had no idea if he said the right thing or if it was the sound of another twig snapping, but Christine's sobs soon quieted._

"_Well, well, well. What do we have here?" a rough voice came from behind the tree they were standing by. Erik stepped away from the tree to see a man, maybe in his late 40s, a long, disheveled beard, plump stomach, and bloodshot eyes._

"_What do you want?" Erik asked, now trying to keep himself calm. This man looked eerily like Javert, but it couldn't possibly be him, he had killed him the night he escaped from the Gypsy camp._

"_I want the pretty little lass in your arms." an ugly smile spread over the man's chubby face. Erik felt Christine flinch in his arms and looked down at her. Her small, delicate cheeks were covered with tears, her bottom lip, usually the color of poppies, was now quivering and pale, and her chocolate brown eyes filled with fear._

"_Stay calm, Lotte. I won't let anyone touch you." Erik whispered under his breath, hoping that her Papa's nickname would soothe her fears, "I'm afraid I cannot hand her over to you at the moment, Monsieur."_

"_Oh? Pray, tell, why not?"_

"_Because you shall be asleep very, very soon." he smirked and saw the man drop to the ground, an open wound on his head where Herr Daae had hit him. Christine's eyes filled with fresh tears at the sight of her Papa; he was here! He had come to save her!_

"_Papa." she choked out and Herr Daae was at Erik's side, taking his precious daughter out of the masked boy's arms._

"_Oh, my little Christine. Don't ever do that again!" he said, but no true anger came from his words; he could think of her punishment for running into the woods later, but, right now, he was glade to see his daughter near him again. _

"_I promise I won't! I'll be good. I love you, Papa." Christine's curly head b hid in the crook of her Papa's warm neck. She felt so weak and tired that she could barely stand it, but being cradled in her Papa's strong arms comforted her as she closed her eyelids to, what undoubtedly would be, a restless sleep._

_Erik heard more footsteps approaching and relaxed as soon as he saw that it was only Giovanni and the annoying De Chagny child._

"_Erik! Where have you been? Well, I mean you've been here, obviously, but-" the old man stuttered; he was worried someone had seen his face and kidnapped him or....Giovanni couldn't bear to think about it. His apprentice was safe, Herr Daae's little child was safe, and now, the group had to get out of the woods so they could all stay safe._

_Raoul stood dumbfounded as he watched the freak look adoringly at his playmate. "How dare he look at Christine in such a way; she is my friend and Father also told me that she was my future bride!"_

_Raoul stomped off in the opposite direction that the rest of the group was going, angry beyond belief._

That brought Raoul back to the present. He still regretted that he wasn't the one who had protected Christine from that awful man! He wanted to be the hero that day, not the masked monster she adored so much.

*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*

Christine loved being out in the field when the wildflowers were blooming, especially with Masque. He had made her a crown of flowers and had placed it gingerly on top of her chestnut curls.

"You look like a princess right out of your fairy tales."

She had blushed at his compliment. _He thought I looked pretty! Wow!_

"Thank you, Masque. You look like a prince; a mysterious prince." Christine giggled, but Erik's golden eyes went hard and darkened. How _dare_ she mock him like that! He had freely shown his face to her last summer and she knew that he was no where near handsome! His thin line that connected his and Christine's fragile friendship snapped before Erik's very eyes, but Christine didn't seem to notice; she was innocently skipping through the tall grasses.

Christine looked at Masque, hoping to gain his attention so he would skip with her, but she saw nothing sadness in his beautiful eyes. She quickly rushed over to his side and asked what was wrong. _What did I say that was wrong? I hope I didn't hurt his feelings!_

"You called me a prince just a second ago. You have seen the face that lies beneath this mask; it is a monster! I am a monster!" Erik shouted and tossed her to the side. He saw nothing but red in his rage, but froze when he heard a soft whimper that only belonged to one child,

"I won't say it again. Please, stop shouting. Please, please." Christine begged; she was curled into a ball and her soft green colored dress made her almost invisible among the growth. How she hated shouting! She didn't care if it was out of fun, but when it was anger, it made her tremble like a leaf and made her cry. Christine lifted her hand to wipe away her tears when her hand came into contact that was warm and sticky.

"Blood." was the last thing she said before fainting from the bright red wetness that she saw on her fingers.

Erik felt a pit in his stomach grow wider and wider; he had struck her across the cheek with something. Erik wore no rings so what could it have been; he then noticed a slight pain in his hand and saw he was clutching wild roses, their thorns digging into his thin skin.

"This is what scratched you. I'm so sorry, Ange." he whispered, all the rage had left his body as quickly as it came. Erik scooped Christine into his arms, pressed a feathery kiss on her forehead, and started to head for the Daae's little cottage. The walk to the cottage was not a long one, but Erik didn't want to explain to Herr Daae that he had, accidentally, struck Christine on the cheek and she was cut by a wild rose thorn.

Erik decided going through the back door might be the smartest move he could make, seeing as how Herr Daae composed at the front of the house and maybe, once he bandaged up Christine's cheek, he would tell Herr Daae that she had simply fallen asleep in the fields. And, as Erik was just a few steps away from the precious room, he heard the voice he dreaded the most to hear at the moment.

"Erik, is everything alright with Christine?" Herr Daae's voice was laced with concern. He always worried about his Little Lotte, even more so due to his failing health.

"She is just tired, Herr Daae. We've been outside for a few hours" Erik lied. He usually could lie better than this, but this man was almost like a father to him and a pang of guilt struck his heart or was that pain....

Erik saw that everything around him was becoming blurry and he was becoming weaker.

"Are you all right, Erik?" Herr Daae asked, putting a gentle hand on the boy's shaking shoulder.

"Take her. I-I can't..." Erik said quickly as he handed over Christine's still body. He slowly fell to his knees and, before he passed out, he heard a small voice calling out for him.

^.^

Christine had woken up in the arms of her Papa, but he looked terrified. This wasn't how her Papa acted when she woke up. Usually he was kind and gentle. Christine was about to ask when she followed his gaze to Erik's trembling form on the floor.

"Erik?" she whispered and he passed out before her and her Papa.

He was extremely still, almost too still, but Christine could she his chest rising and falling slowly.

"Papa, what happened? Why is he on the floor, Papa!" tears poured out of her big, frightened brown eyes. Herr Daae was at a loss; he honestly didn't know why the boy had passed out so suddenly, unless...it was the medical condition Giovanni had spoken about last year.

"_Erik, even at his young age, suffers from heart trouble. They are only small things like him becoming weak or his vision is not quite right, but usually he is fine soon after."_

"I think he might be sick, Angel. Let me get you to bed first and then I shall take care of Erik." he tried to sound calm, but on the inside he was panicking. Was this boy in serious trouble? Was he going to be all right? He felt Christine bury her head in his shoulder and, soon after, her breathing became slow and even, signaling to her Papa that she was asleep. Herr Daae smiled at his Little Lotte and walked silently to her room. Once he got her comfortably in bed, he had to try his best at getting Erik to the guest room.

"Erik, wake up. You need to move out of the hallway."

Erik grumbled at the sound of another person's voice. All he felt like doing was sleeping! His gold eyes fluttered open and saw Herr Daae and all the memories that happened only moments ago rushed back to him.

"Christine." he breathed, trying to sit up, but his head pounded beneath his skull. With a moan, Erik laid back down and looked up at the kind man above him.

"Glad to see you have woken up. I need to move you to the guest room so you can rest properly. Grab onto my arm like this and I'll help you up." Herr Daae smiled at the young man and, with some minor issues like bumping into walls and waking Christine up, which made Herr Daae set Erik back down on the floor and put his daughter back to bed, they finally made it to the guest room.

Erik sighed in relief as his head hit the soft pillow and, out of habit, reached up to touch his face, but he discovered that it was missing! _He has seen my face! Oh, God, now he'll-he'll...he didn't run? Monsieur Daae didn't run from my face? He and Christine both are so odd..._

"I believe this belongs to you?" a noise from the other side of the room. There stood Herr Daae; held between his sun tanned hands was the white porcelain mask that Erik loathed and adored.

"Y-yes. Thank you." Erik whispered and reached out to take his mask back, but Herr Daae made not effort to move.

"I think you should get some sleep, boy. You and Christine have had a long day and I'm sure that you and her can forgive each other tomorrow." he smiled and set the mask on the small nightstand. Erik was shocked by what the man had said; he had known about him pushing Christine down onto the ground and cutting her with a rose thorn.

"I'm sorry, Monsieur. I didn't mean to hurt her like that. Honestly I didn't." tears filled Erik's eyes at the memory of him hurting the one girl he claimed to be the most precious human being in the world to him.

"I'm not mad at you, Erik. Signor Giovanni told me how sensitive you are when it comes to your face and I overheard what my daughter had said to you. Christine didn't mean to hurt your feelings Erik; she was just stating what she thought. She thought you looked like a prince and in many ways you are handsome like a prince. You just need to control that temper of yours. Now, before I continue to lecture you to death, I'll let you get some sleep." Herr Giovanni patted Erik's shoulder and walked towards the door.

"Monsieur, thank you and how did you know that Christine told me that I was like a prince?" Erik's words slurred with sleep.

"My Little Lotte loves to talk in her sleep. You are a wonderful person Erik. Don't let anyone tell you that you are not. Good night." he smiled once more and left the room; quietly shutting the door behind him. Erik also smiled, despite the tears that streamed down his face. So far there had been three people in the whole world who had accepted him and his face and, for the first time in a long time, Erik fell into a peaceful, and uneventful, sleep.

**I'm so tired right now. Its not all that late right now, but I've been a worry wart all weekend and its just been awful. I forgot if I told you people this or not, but I'm not going to be on here starting June 23. I have a trip I'm going on, but until then, be happy with what you get! So, onto more important matters, love it? Hate it? Give me opinions here people! Did I make Erik too nice? Herr Daae too soft? Raoul too mean? Actually, I don't really care what you think about Raoul because my opinion of him won't ever change! He's a fop and all who agree with me shall send me a review!! REVIEW PLEASE! I'M BEGGING YOU!!!**

**God Bless!**

**^.^**


	4. Forgiveness and Lullabies

**I'm moving onward with this fic. I'm tired of my characters being small, but I must admit, I love my tiny Christine! She is so much fun to write and Erik is wonderful! If I do say so myself. Nothing much to say right now....enjoy the chapter and I'm going to Green Day! Okay, that was unnecessary information, but I'm excited. Happy 4th of July, but I think this update is going to come a little after the 4th, so Happy Independence Day! Sit back, relax, and enjoy Chapter 4!**

**Memories**

Erik felt the soft light touch his face as Herr Daae parted the curtain in the guest room. During the night, Erik got a slight fever during the night, but it seemed to have gone down considerably.

"God dag, Erik. Hur stå det till ) kännanden?"

He groaned as the ache in his chest flared up a little. _Great. There went my summer with Christine._

"Much better, Herr Daae. Where is Christine? Usually, if she isn't with me, she is clinging to you."

He had to chuckle at this; it was so true. When his lovely daughter wasn't with Erik, she was never out of his line of sight.

"I think she is still asleep. The cut on her cheek will heal and won't leave a scar. After I was done putting you to bed, she wanted to see you, so, do you feel like getting out of bed to see her?"

"Of course! I'm so sorry, Herr Daae. I never meant to loose my temper like that last night; its just that...I-I thought she was....laughing at me. Your daughter is precious to me and the thought of little, innocent Christine laughing at me...it hurt. Then, when it was too late, I realized she wasn't laughing, that she was telling me the truth. I can't believe I hurt her like that. She probably hates me." Erik put his head in his hands and let the tears silently fall onto the sheets.

Herr Daae looked at the crying boy in front of him. This Erik was different from the cold and unfriendly young man from last year. This one showed emotion and said that Christine was precious to him. He could tell that it took everything Erik had to love someone as much as he loved his Little Lotte. Herr Daae patted him on the back until the trembling and tears became nothing more than sniffles.

"Trust me, Ung man, Christine doesn't hate you. When you left last year, it broke her tiny heart in two. She refused to come out of her room for at least a week and even after that, she didn't want to leave the cottage. She loves you, Erik. As much as a 5 year-old child can love. The love of a small child is pure and clean." he smiled as he saw Erik's golden eyes make contact with his brown ones for the first time since they met.

Erik couldn't understand these people. First Signor Giovanni, then Christine, then Herr Daae. Why were they being kind to someone like him? Didn't they see that he was a monster? All of them, besides Signor Giovanni, had seen his face and the demon that lay underneath. But these people...somehow saw past that, even though Erik himself could not. They saw him for who he was.

"Thank you, Herr Daae. I-I'm sorry I can't do anything to help you. I wish I could help, but I can't." fresh tears poured out of his young, hurt eyes. Herr Daae smiled sadly and resumed rubbing Erik's back soothingly once more.

"Its alright, Erik. You've done more than any doctor would do. You made sure that I would at least live a few more years. Before we met, the doctor here told me that I wouldn't last more than a month. I'm the one who should be thanking you. Now, do you wish to see Christine right now or do you-"

"Papa!" a high pitched scream filled the air.

"Speaking of Christine. Coming, my dear. I'll let you get ready. Like I said before, Erik, you are a wonderful boy with so many amazing talents. Promise me you'll do something great with that talent."

"I promise, Herr Daae and Erik Destler always keeps his promise." he smiled.

"Good. I shall see you in a few moments and, with any luck, a fully dressed daughter by my side and if not, she'll be in her nightgown." and with that, Herr Daae walked out the door to see his distressed child.

^.^

Christine did not sleep well during the night. Most of her dreams were turned into nightmares, but there was one that frightened her beyond all the others....

_Christine sat in a chair in the middle of a threatre, or at least thats what she thought it was, and stared at a beautiful woman who stood upon the stage. She bore an unsettling resemblance to Christine; they had the same brown, curly hair, chestnut colored eyes, same nose, cheekbones, the only thing different was that the beautiful lady had a gorgeous singing voice._

_Suddenly, a man, who looked like an older version of Raoul, rushed upon the stage and pulled the lady into a fierce hug._

"_Let me go! Please, let me go!" she shouted, trying to free herself from the man's grasp. The man smiled wickedly and held on tighter._

"_I don't think so, my dear. You're mine now."_

"_No! He will find out and he will find me!"_

"_I doubt that, darling, because he is dead."_

_The beautiful lady stopped her struggling as she looked at the man, shock apparent on her pale face._

"_You're lying. He is alive."_

"_I'm afraid not. You see, I killed him. Do you want to see his body or do you want a little less gruesome proof?" he said menacingly and pulled out a white porcelain mask, covered in blood._

_The lady let out a bone chilling scream and fainted. _

_It took Christine a minute to realize who the mask belonged to and whose blood was on it._

"_ERIK!" she screamed, but everything became dark._

Sitting up in bed, covered in cold sweat, Christine did the only thing she could do: call for her Papa.

"Papa!"

There was a muffled laugh, a door closing, and her door opening to reveal her Papa, fully dressed, but he looked tired.

He moved slowly towards the bed and picked Christine up and set her in his lap, gently rocking his Little Lotte.

"What is the matter, Child? What has frightened you so badly?"

"I-I had....a nightmare, Papa. A truly scary one."

"Do you wish to tell me about it?"

Christine shook her curly head 'no' and buried her face in the crook of her Papa's neck. She could tell he wasn't feeling well today; his skin was cold and he was paler usual.

Herr Daae let out a small laugh and continued to rock slowly back and forth. If his Christine didn't want to tell him, he wouldn't try to get the dream out of her; she would tell him in her own time.

"Papa, are...are you not...feeling well?"

He sighed sadly at the question. _How I wish I could spare her pain! It won't be long now, but she doesn't have to worry right now. She needs to be happy and care free and I know Erik will help her with that once I'm gone._

"I'm just a little tired right now, but you mustn't worry over me. Erik should be in here shortly and you two can go outside and spend the day together."

"Alright. Ich liebe dich, Papa." she whispered and fell back asleep in his arms.

"I love you, too, mein kostbares kleines Mädchen." Herr Daae smiled and gently kissed the untamed curls that lay upon his daughter's head. "You are so much like your mother. I wish I could live to see you grow up. I'm sorry, Christine."

Tears welled up in the old gentleman's brown eyes; he realized finally that he wasn't going to be around to watch his only child grow up, get married, have children....and there was nothing he could do.

There was a soft knock on the door and Erik slowly stepped into the room, looking a tad bit nervous.

"I-is she alright?"

"She is. She'll wake up in a moment. Christine, Erik is here. Wake up, Engel." he cooed softly into Christine's ear.

Slowly, her eyelids fluttered and her brown eyes immediately locked on the beautiful golden ones in front of her. Suddenly, without warning, her terrifying nightmare replayed itself in her mind and she reached out for Erik's strong, protective grasp.

Erik grabbed the little girl out of her Papa's grasp and settled her in his lap, just like Herr Daae had.

"I heard my friend had a nightmare. What was it about?"

Christine shook her head once again and looked back at her Papa. He looked tired and he looked sick. Why wasn't he in bed? That is what he usually made her do when she got sick.

"Papa, you need to rest. You really don't look well." she whispered, clinging tighter to Erik's white shirt.

Herr Daae smiled at the precious girl in front of him, but his smile soon turned into a grimace as pain shot through his body. _Not now! Please don't take me away from her yet, my Lord. She still needs her Papa! She still...._

His thoughts came to a stand still as his world went black.

Christine stared at the fainted form of her Papa. What was wrong? Why had he fainted? Was he more sick than Erik or he told her?

"Papa? Papa! Wake up, Papa!" she screamed and tore herself from Erik's grasp, crying on his chest. "Masque, what is wrong with him? Why is Papa like this?"

Erik looked at the man in shock. One of the only people who truly trusted him and loved him was dying sooner than he had originally expected.

"I-I don't know why he....oh Christine." tears of his own fell down his cheeks.

Christine turned to see her best friend crying, his mask removed and the right side of his face showed more pain than the other side.

"Masque, hold me, please." her little, frightened voice pleaded. Erik nodded his head and wrapped his strong arms around the girl and sobbed for what seemed like hours. Herr Daae was dying. He only had a few days, a week at the best, to live.

Erik noticed then that Christine had fallen asleep in his arms, just like she had in her Papa's. Erik felt a wave of love flow through him at that moment. He had to protect this girl, no mattered what happened to Herr Daae. This child was his life and reason.

"I promise, Christine, that I'll forever protect you as the Angel of Music. I love you, Christine." he whispered and sealed the promise with a small kiss on her delicate nose.

_My sweet little rose,_

_Your petals are wet,_

_But I am here now to keep you safe and dry._

_You, my sweet little rose,_

_Are the most beautiful of all,_

_You are afraid of blooming,_

_But I am here now to help you and be free._

_The sweet little rose that you are,_

_Now kept safe from hurt and harm,_

_Open your dry, beautiful petals for the world to see._

_But, just remember, as the world looks at you,_

_You shall always be,_

_My sweet....little....rose._

**I'm soooo sorry that the update took as long as it did. I hope you like it!!! Nothing really to say right now.....R&R and yeah. Do you like the song? If you're confused about it, its Erik singing to Christine after she had fallen asleep. There a several phrases in here so here is a list of the translations.**

**Herr Daae: Good morning, Erik. Are you feeling better?**

**Herr Daae also says: Young man.**

**Christine: I love you, Papa**

**Herr Daae: my precious little girl**

**So, thats it! Have a good night and R&R please!**

**God Bless**

**^.^**


	5. A Sorrowful Goodbye

**I'm. Exhausted. Thats putting things mildly! I swam at my Great-Grandma's lake today, all day, and just recently got back with a nasty sunburn. It stings! :( Anyway, did you guys enjoy my last chapter? Also, to answer one of my reviewers questions: Herr is German and Swedish for Mister. I should know, I'm part Swedish (sorry if I just sounded like a complete smart ass, I honestly didn't mean to.). And, I have a favor to ask all of you: REVIEW! So, I'll stop talking and we can get onto the goods. Here is Chapter 5 everybody!**

**Memories**

**5 days later**

"Ch-Christine? W-where are y-" Herr Daae called for his daughter, but cut off at, yet another, horrible coughing fit. The day he fainted in from of Christine and Erik was all a blur. All he could remember was Christine crying out for him and Erik trying his best to soothe her.

Christine had heard her Papa call for her; he had a very high fever and would be delirious one minute and perfectly fine the next. It frightened her.

"I'm right here, Papa. What do you need?" she whispered and took his cold, shaking hand in her warm one.

"Can y-you sing for me, Lo-Lotte?"

"What song, Papa?"

"Anything, pl-please. And one m-more thing, darling."

"Yes?"

"Erik." he breathed, pain evident in the older gentleman's voice. Herr Daae had wanted to say goodbye to the strange, interesting, caring young man and he had to ask him something important that he knew he could never trust the de Chagny's with, even though the two families got along.

"Of course, Papa. I'll be right back." Christine rose and kissed him on the forehead, slowly walking out the bedroom door.

Erik sat outside on the front doorstep, worry filling his thin body. _What am I going to do? He's dying in there. God! I feel so completely and utterly useless!_

He planned that once Herr Daae....passed on, that he would take Christine to live with Raoul and his family, seeing as how the two children were, somewhat, close friends. _But I want to be the one taking care of her, but I can't just bring a 5 year old child with me back to Italy. What would Signor Giovanni think of me?_ Suddenly, he was thrust out of his thoughts as he heard a small sob coming from the door.

Quickly turning around to see who had made the noise, he came face to face with Christine. She looked so tired; her little brown eyes were red and puffy from crying and her cheeks were pale from lack of food, sleep, and sunshine.

"Papa wants....wants to see you, Masque." her words quivered and were drenched in sorrow. She knew her Papa wasn't going to live much longer. She had known this for the longest time. Despite his best efforts, Christine could see her Papa getting weaker and weaker each day during the year and knew he had a horrible illness, but nobody had told her that it would _kill_ him.

Erik looked at the trembling girl that was usually so strong. All he could offer her was his love and protection and he knew that was all she wanted right now.

Without saying a word, Erik opened his arms to hold Christine. In a blur, she lay sobbing in her masked friends arms. He was so kind to her. She didn't want to go live with Raoul. Sure, he was her friend, but Erik made her feel safe. With her Mama to pass away first due to an illness that was eerily similar to the one her Papa has, and now he was leaving her, too.

"Masque, I don't want to leave. I don't want him to leave me. I don't want you to leave me. If you left me after....afterwards, I'll die."

Erik was taken aback at the little 5 year old. She _wanted_ him to stay. Then, he remembered the promise he had softly spoken to her the day her Papa grew ill, _I promise, Christine, that I'll forever protect you as the Angel of Music. I love you, Christine._

"Christine, I'll never leave you, neither will your Papa. Once he's...gone, he'll be watching you from heaven with your Mama and he shall be making sure that his little girl is alright." he cooed softly into her ear.

"Really?" Christine stared at Erik with big, glassy eyes.

"Really. Now, what did your Papa need me for?"

"He wanted you to talk to him or have him talk to you. Will you carry me inside? I'm sleepy for some reason." she yawned and pushed her face into his shoulder.

Erik chuckled slightly and placed a feather soft kiss on her forehead, "Of course I'll carry you in, Ange. The reason you're so tired is because you have been awake for 5 days straight and you have had no food either. Plus, you're emotionally exhausted from worrying. Sleep now, Christine. I'll wake you before anything happens. I promise."

Christine nodded weakly and her breathing soon became slow and even. Poor child! Nobody, especially her, should be put through this so young. Erik caressed her pale little cheek for a moment until he heard footsteps nearing the cottage. Without having to break his gaze from Christine's sleeping face, he knew who was coming from the grumpy sounds the person was making.

"Good evening, Raoul. What are you doing here so late at night?"

"Father sent me so that once Herr Daae dies, I can take her home right afterwards."

Erik was shocked by this. The family was not going to let the girl have time to grieve over her Papa after he passed on? Did they just expect her to be fine the next day and completely forget about him? Before Erik could protest, there was a muffled cry coming from inside the house that was soon followed by a coughing fit.

"If you could excuse the two of us, Raoul, I believe Herr Daae wishes to see his daughter one last time."

He stood and walked into the once warm and welcoming cottage, leaving a stunned Raoul. No one ever treated him like that! Not even the servants or his older brother! If Christine was left in the care of this _freak_, he knew she would turn out exactly like him.

Quietly walking into the house, Raoul stopped at the closed door that led to Herr Daae's room and heard something he never heard before: Christine's singing. It was a simple and sweet tune, but it carried a hint of sadness in it as well.

Erik had woken Christine up, despite Herr Daae's request.

"Sir, this maybe the last time she'll see you. I don't want to have the guilt knowing that I did not wake her up to say goodbye."

Once awake, Christine smiled at her Papa lovingly and took his hand once again as she began to sing,

_Så den åren av älska vi delat _

_Är mest skatt sak till jag , _

_Utom nu det er på tid ,  
Så pass vi måste säga adjö _

_Till varandra en gäng äter.  
JAG älskat du igenom den åren , _

_EN liten belopp , utom stor likaledes. _

_Nu det er tid , _

_Till varandra en gäng äter. _

_Du älskat jag igenom den åren. _

_EN mild slag av älska den var , _

_Utom nu det er tid , _

_Så pass vi måste säga adjö , _

_Till varandra en gäng äter. _

_Kärleken vi delat igenom den åren , _

_Skal sist längre än de här orden.  
För vi veta så pass den sant är inte tiden , _

_Så pass vi måste säga adjö ,  
Utom vi skal träffa i himmel en gäng äter. _

Erik marveled at the simple beauty of Christine's voice. Never had he heard so much potential coming from a child as young as herself. She definitely needed some work, but not a lot.

"Beautiful a-as ever, m-my Little Lotte. Run along now while I talk with Erik." Herr Daae smiled at his daughter as his trembling voice calmed so he wouldn't stutter while he talked with Erik about personal matters.

Christine nodded her head and kissed her loving Papa on the cheek for what felt like the last time.

"I love you, Papa. I'll always be your Little Lotte. I promise."

Herr Daae saw the tears well up in the innocent chocolate eyes. Slowly raising his hand, he cupped his Christine's cheek and stroked it with his thumb.

"When I'm in heaven, Child, I'll shall send you the Angel of Music to look after you as well as myself and your Mama. I love you with all my heart, Christine. Even when I'm gone, don't forget how much I love you. Now run along so I may speak to Erik." he smiled once more as Christine turned and headed out the door.

Raoul had heard the whole conversation and decided to bolt to the front door in least he should get caught eavesdropping.

Christine was startled when she saw her friend standing at the doorway, but made no move to speak to him. She just wanted to think of her Papa and his words about the Angel of Music and loving him when he was gone. But, of course, Raoul being Raoul, he started talking, completely offended that she had not noticed him before.

"I see that your Father is very ill."

"He's dying. Erik is talking to him right now. Oh Raoul, please don't take this the wrong way, but I don't want to live with your family. I want Erik." was her soft reply as tears as big as diamonds fell down her pale porcelain cheeks.

Raoul felt rage build up inside him. The freak?! She wanted to leave with a man she barely knew and not knowing if he was a sick weirdo or someone who would abandon her once her friendship grew tiresome.

"How can you pick him over me? We've known each other for years and you still want him?" Raoul's voice rose after each word, nearly shouting by the end.

Christine cringed and nodded her head.

"First of all, I'm 5 and you're 6 and, secondly, Erik makes me feel safe, like when I'm with Papa. Raoul you are my friend, but you don't give me the safety I want. I'm sorry."

Silence lingered between the children, but Raoul was the first to speak and instantly regretted it.

"He is a freak. No one normal would ever wear a mask."

Christine's vision blurred with tears of hate instead of sadness. Raoul had just called her best friend a freak! Her only true friend, besides her Papa, was NOT a freak!

"Listen Raoul, he is not a freak. He is different and I like different. Masque is the person I want to leave with!" she shouted; running off to her field of wildflowers, hoping to calm down so she could say her final words to her Papa.

^.^

"Erik, there is something important that I must tell you." Herr Daae rasped.

Erik quickly sat down next to the man and grasped his hand, just like Christine had. He couldn't believe this was happening. This man had treated him with such kindness and respect that it even rivaled Signor Giovanni's. Tears welled up in Erik's eyes at the thought of the old mason; Signor Giovanni, was too, dying. The two men who had treated him like he was their son, were dying.

Herr Daae saw the tears and weakly wiped them off Erik's cheek.

"Don't cry. I'm going to be very happy where I am going, but I'm afraid my daughter disagrees. Before I tell you anything, could you please do me a favor?"

"Yes."

"Take off your mask. I want to see the face of the boy I consider to be my son." he smiled at Erik's shocked expression.

"But...but, Herr Daae..you've seen it a-and you know...." Erik stuttered. He didn't want him to see the face of a monster before he died. Erik wanted Herr Daae to see the face of an angel which could only belong to Christine.

"Please, Erik. Your face is your face and it does not bother me."

Before Erik could react, Herr Daae slowly peeled off the warm porcelain and laid it on the nightstand.

"There. Much better" he smiled again, but broke off into another cough; a thin layer of blood covered his pale hand.

"I don't have much longer, my boy, but I must tell you this for I cannot allow the De Chagny's to do so. Erik, you're the only person I trust to look after Christine."

Erik sat perfectly still on the bed. Take care of her? What about Signor Giovanni? Had the fever made him so delusional that he didn't know what he was saying?

"Herr Daae, why me? I have to return to Rome."

"I've already talked to Signor Giovanni and he didn't mind looking after Christine. And to answer your other question of why I'm choosing you is because of this: you love her and she loves you. You may call yourself a monster, Erik, but deep down, you're talented, kind, loving, and everything else that is what a monster is not. Please, look after my darling angel and be her Angel of Music. Adjö , min maskerat son."

"Au revoir , mon Suédois père" Erik whimpered as the brown, comforting, caring eyes closed for the last time. As Herr Daae drew his last breath, Christine burst through the room with a handful of wild roses.

"Papa? No. No, please, no! Papa!" she wailed; tossing the roses to the ground and running to her Papa's still, lifeless body.

"Don't leave me, Papa. I need you! Please, I need you. I love you with all my heart."

Erik let his own tears of sadness fall from his golden eyes. The man who was like a father, was now in a happier place; free from all the suffering he had just endured. Gently pulling Christine off her Papa's body, he held her tightly.

"Don't be sad, Ange. Your Papa is in a happier place. He wouldn't want you to cry like this."

"But it hurts, Masque. I didn't even get to say goodbye." she whispered in anguish. Her little heart was breaking and her soul was shattering. The only thing that Christine could think of that would make her life any worse was if Masque left. She would rather die than not being able to see him again.

"I know it hurts, Lotte, but I'm here. Nobody is going to take you away from me. Not even Raoul." Erik whispered back; hoping that she would brighten up at the news of him taking care of her and not the miniature fop.

Christine's brown curly head popped up to meet the golden eyes of her friend, "I'm staying with you?"

"Your Papa told me just a minute ago. We shall never have to be apart, if you wish." he stroked the curls lovingly. Maybe Herr Daae was right; maybe there was more to him than the face of a demon with a temper to match.

Christine clung closer than ever to Erik as her she cried until there was nothing left.

"Never leave me. Masque, thank you." were her only words before she fell asleep; feeling safe and...happy, despite her Papa.

"Sleep well, Ange. I'm here to take care of you."

Erik stood up and carried his sleeping angel into her room and ever so gently laid her on the cotton quilt. He retrieved the rose, picked all the thorns off, and tied a black silk ribbon around the stem.

Lying down beside the little girl on the bed, Erik put the rose in her hair and slowly drifted off to sleep, holding Christine the entire time.

**What did you think? I'm even sad that I had to write about Herr Daae's deat, but, if I didn't, the story couldn't continue. The next chapter might be a tad bit confusing so make sure you read every little subtle hint I give you guys, okay? Do we have a deal? Good, now that we got that situation out of the way, I'm starting a new story! It shall be, yet another POTO, but after my new one, I shall write either a Twilight story or a House of Night story.**

**Oh! Before I forget, here are the English lyrics to the song Christine sang, (I wrote it so ask permission before using it, but I doubt you people will use it, but still, I don't want to take a chance.)**

…**....okay, I'm having issues with my computer right now so I'll have it posted next time. Before I lose all my work I'm going to say R&R and God Bless!**

**^.^**


	6. Growing Up

**I'm going to attempt updating more often and see if it works. Now that we got that out of the way, who liked my last chapter? Like I said before, I didn't want to have Herr Daae die! It hurt to write it because he was so fun to write about. A moment of silence for Herr Daae.........okay now that is out of the way, who is ready for Chapter 6? Here we go!**

**Memories**

It had only been a couple hours since they had buried Herr Daae in the cemetery. It was a small ceremony with only Erik, Raoul, his father, his brother, Christine, and the local priest. The sun was setting, the birds were singing, everything was alive. Everything, except for the little brown haired child in all black.

Christine swore her soul left with her Papa's. Not even Erik could cheer her up, as he usually could, but he was dying slowly inside, too. Herr Daae had been the only real fatherly figure in his life, besides Signor Giovanni, and now, he was gone. His illness wasn't what Erik originally thought it was and he couldn't help but feel guilty. _I killed Christine's father. If I had diagnosed him correctly, he could still be here with us and Christine wouldn't be crying and I wouldn't be hurting._

Christine looked at the grave of her Papa. Never again would he tell her stories of Little Lotte. Never again will she hear the sound of his violin. Never again would she ever have a small kiss on the cheek from those kind, warm lips whenever she did something that had pleased him. Fresh tears coursed down the already red cheeks and Christine squeezed Erik's hand tightly.  
She had a death grip on his hand since the beginning of the funeral and she was not about to give it up. Erik was her strength right now; he was the light that would help her through the darkness.

Erik looked down at his friend. She looked so sad and alone; he knew exactly how she felt. Even though she never should an ounce of kindness towards him, Erik couldn't help it when a wave of sadness hit him when he left his mother. She had been an evil woman towards him, but, for some odd reason, he loved her. All he ever wanted to do was make her proud of him.

Squeezing her small hand back, Erik picked Christine up in his long, thin arms and carried her back to the cottage.

"I don't want to go home. I want to stay with Papa."

"You can see him tomorrow, Ange. Its starting to get cold and I don't want you to get sick." he whispered quietly; trying desperately to stop her tears and to keep his own from falling. The thought of Christine getting sick....it was horrifying, but, it would eventually happen at one point or another.

"Masque, are we going to Italy?"

"Maybe, Lotte, but I plan on staying here in Sweden until you feel better."

Erik felt the little shoulders relax with relief. She didn't want to be separated from her Papa just yet.

Burying her head in his shoulder, Christine fell asleep with the comfort and knowledge that her real life Angel of Music was there to guide and guard her.

^.^

Raoul watched the two leave together and felt the familiar rage return to him. That freak still had the nerve to touch Christine made him so sick.

Monsieur de Chagny saw the obvious anger his son was in and smiled wickedly. _Just be patient, Roaul. In 16 years, that little girl is to be your future wife and that boy can't do a thing about it._

^.^

**15 years later**

_But, please, promise me that sometimes,_

_You will think,_

_Of me!_

Christine finished the end of her aria; her first aria. The audience sat there dumbfounded that the voice of an angel came out of such a little body, but soon, the silence was replaced by a roaring thunder of clapping. Christine couldn't help but feel happy and giddy. All of Erik's training had finally paid off, and the fact that Carlotta, selfish cow, was injured.

Looking up at the box she knew her best friend sat in and was even more happy, if that was possible, when he gave her the biggest smile she had ever seen. Erik felt proud of his Christine; her beautiful voice still ringing in his ears. She looked so gorgeous on the stage and his heart soared even more as she glanced up at his box, Box 5.

"Well done." he mouthed the words to her and saw her blush even more.

"Thank you, Maestro." she mouthed back. Stepping back, Christine bowed and was soon hidden behind the red curtains. Quickly running back to her dressing room, trying to ignore the 'congratulations', and 'excellent job' comments; all she wanted to do was change out of her costume and go to the chapel where she had promised to meet Erik. _I'm so happy he is proud of me. It took 15 years to shape my voice for this very night, but it was all worth it._

After what seemed like hours of pushing and shoving through a mob of people, talking to the manager, accepting flowers from admirers, and gently declining young men who offered to take her to supper,

"I'm terribly sorry, but someone is already taking me to supper." , she finally made it to her dressing room door, but before she could even turn the knob, a strong hand grasped her elbow. Looking up to meet the eyes of the person who would grab her in such a way, she met the blue eyes of her former childhood friend,

"Raoul! How good it is to see you again!" she smiled and through her arms around his neck. It had been years since they had last seen each other; it was definitely a nice surprise.

"And it is good to see you too, Little Lotte. You sang magnificently tonight. May I ask where you learned to sing like that?" he tilted his blond head. He truly was handsome; his dirty blond hair, crystal clear blue eyes, and his boyish face was like a women magnet.

Christine pulled out of her embrace with Raoul; looking a little worried. She knew, even as a child, Erik and Raoul never got along well, so she told him the only thing she could think of,

"It was the Angel of Music Papa had promised to send me."

Raoul stared at her in confusion. The Angel of Music? What sort of lies had Erik been filling her head with? He hated the fact that Erik was the one who was to raise her and not his family, but Christine seemed to have turned out fine, besides sounding quite childish.

"I'm sure it was, my friend, but now, we must go to supper together. There is so much to catch up on." he smiled and held her hands tightly. He had been told that once Christine turned 21 in 3 months, she would be his bride immediately and she would forever be rid of that freak who had been with her all her life.

"No, Raoul, I've promised to meet someone else tonight, but thank you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to change out of this huge costume. Its quite uncomfortable." she pouted playfully, but she noticed the obvious disappointment on her friend's boyish features.

"Your meeting Erik, aren't you?" Raoul questioned, trying his best to contain his anger. Not only was the masked monster living with her, he was _courting_ her as well!

"It is, but its nothing than supper. Erik and I are nothing more than just dear friends. He raised me after Papa passed and I'm forever grateful that he has taken care of me over the years." Christine smiled again as the memories of the past 15 years washed over her; going to Italy, Persia, Erik telling her stories, their singing lessons, him composing music with her Papa's violin. Even though some of the memories weren't very pleasant, like when Erik had an awful fever and they had no money for a doctor or when they had to live on the streets for 2 years because of money, but Christine would not take back a single day of those joyful years she spent with Erik. He taught her how to laugh again and how to be happy again after her Papa died.

"Alright then. I hope to see you soon, Christine. Aurevior." he muttered and walked out the dressing room door.

Quickly looking at the clock, Christine noticed she was already 10 minutes late.

"Damn it! Now he'll be angry at me for sure." she said, annoyed, but couldn't help but giggle. It was so funny whenever Erik tried to get angry at her because she was so used to his temper that usually they would both burst out laughing as he attempted to give her a stern and serious look.

Dawning on a simple blue evening dress, Christine made her way out of the dressing room and down the empty corridors to the chapel.

^.^

Erik paced the chapel floor as he waited for Christine to arrive so they could leave for supper. _Where is she? She is usually always on time, unless she gets into a conversation with the Giry girl..._

He felt nervous at the thought of seeing her. He stopped his pacing at the ludicrous thought. Why would he be nervous around a girl he had known since she was 4 years-old? Christine had definitely grown into a fine young woman; her brown curls cascaded down her back whenever she had it down, her doe like brown eyes still held some of their childhood innocence, her skin was almost the color of porcelain, but was slightly tanned from her early years of playing in the fields of wildflowers.

Erik looked up at the small, ancient looking clock that hung in the small opera chapel; quarter past 10. Where was she?!

Back to his thoughts of Christine, he was still baffled at the fact that he had helped raise such an angel; he, the masked freak who had never known kindness or love in all his life, was in charge of a broken little girl. To be perfectly honest, he had no idea what to do after he brought her home from the funeral. He never had to take care of anybody except for himself, but, even with his odd habits, fiery temper, and lack of money, he had managed to turn Christine into a polite, kind, and caring woman.

Erik turned his head at the sound of footsteps nearing the chapel and was delighted to see it was Christine. _Took her long enough._

Chuckling slightly, he walked over and placed a small kiss on her cheek. Erik saw the blush creeping up onto her cheeks. Odd, that had never happened before...

"You sang flawlessly, my dear. I told you all your hard work would pay off."

Christine smiled brightly and wound her arms around Erik's neck and held him tightly in a friendly embrace, which, for some reason, made her completely self-conscious about herself. _Does he want me to touch him this way? Do I look alright? Why did he laugh when I first walked in?_

Sensing her worry, Erik pulled back to look into her brown eyes, which caused her to blush even more.

"You know, if you keep blushing like that, you'll stain lovely white cheeks red."

Playfully smacking his arm, Christine looked at Erik closely for the first time in weeks; his jet black hair was slicked back and gleamed in the soft candlelight, his strong jaw and cheekbones casted shadows across his unmasked cheek, and his piercing gold eyes...they were so beautiful to look at. _Wait a minute! What am I thinking? Erik and I are just friends. Besides, if he was in love, it definitely wouldn't be with me. I'm not all that pretty to begin with._ Christine felt a pang of jealousy and guilt. Why wouldn't he love her? They had been friends for such a long time and it seemed logical, but maybe he didn't want to mess with the friendship? Shaking the thoughts out of her head, Christine released her hold on Erik and took his slim, musical fingers into hers.

"Are you ready for supper, Masque?"

"I do believe I am, Ange."

Both smiling happily at each other, the two friends walked out of the chapel and into the cold Parisian night; both unaware of the blossoming feelings the two shared for one another.

**Wow....that was literally my quickest update. I hope you guys enjoy this and I also forgot to mention this at the beginning, Erik is a mix of Gerard Butler's Phantom and Susan Kay's Phantom. Erik's skin is pale, but not thing, he has a nose, only half his face is covered with the mask, he is thin, but muscular, and he has thick black hair. Christine is simple: just picture Emmy Rossum and there you have it and Raoul...use your imagination. Make him look like a scuz ball for all I care. I'm going to end this because, frankly, I'm about to pass out on my keyboard so R&R and God Bless!**

**^.^**


	7. Copyist's Street

**I'm going to start this chapter with a very happy THANK YOU! Your guy's comments makes me feel....WHEEEEE! Sorry for the random squeal, but I felt it necessary. Anyway, I'm glad you people like my story so far and I hope to keep it entertaining because there shall be fluff appearing in the next few chapters! And I'm not saying whose fluff it will be, even though my description does say its EC, but I can lie and have it RC. I think I would die writing something like that....okay, before I continue rambling, here is Chapter 7!**

**Memories**

"Oh my goodness, its freezing out here!" Christine laughed as she and Erik left the warmth of the small cafe.

"And why didn't you bring your cloak, Mademoiselle?" Erik cocked an eyebrow at her. Even when she was little she would forget to bring a cloak or a jacket to keep her warm and she was keeping up the tradition apparently.

"I was in a hurry! I know what you're thinking and I didn't leave my cloak behind in my dressing room because I forgot! I was in a hurry and I guess....I...."

"Forgot?" he laughed. Christine blushed crimson as she playfully smacked his arm, which was very unladylike and it did receive quite a few stares, but the two friends never noticed.

His laughter subsiding, slightly, Erik removed his own warm cloak and placed it on Christine's delicate shoulders.

Wrapping herself tightly in the warm fabric, Christine realized that Erik now had nothing to keep him warm! He would freeze to death out here!

"Erik, you'll get sick if you don't stay warm. You take your cloak back and I'll suffer until we reach the flat; its only a few blocks down."

"I don't think I shall accept that offer, no matter how tempting it sounds because I want your voice to stay beautiful and, trust me, a cold is something you definitely don't want right now as a rising star." Erik smiled once again and placed a gentle kiss on Christine's forehead. He could feel the flush more than see it, but he tried his best to ignore it. _If she were in love, it would never be with me. I'm hideous for one thing and my temper really doesn't help much at all; plus our age difference is huge!_

He had to ask her though! They had been friends for so long and nothing ever happened until Christine turned 18. After that, every time Erik saw her, he would get nervous or he would start to stutter like a complete fool.

But, before he could even get the words out of his mouth, Christine turned to face him; throwing her arms around his waist as the church bells rang midnight. Erik could feel her body shake and her hot tears drenching his shirt. It took him a minute to figure out why she was crying, but soon figured out the reason: today was the day Herr Daae had passed.

Quietly enveloping her with his arms, Erik tried to calm her like he did every year on this black day.

"Shhh, Ange. He's here. Your Papa has been with you all these years, so theres no need to cry like this."

Christine could only nod and continued to cry. She was thankful that whenever this day came, Erik was there to comfort her and make her feel better. She knew better than to cry like this, but, it still hurt to think about that day 15 years ago; she hated the memory of her Papa lying there on the bed, body lifeless.

As if hearing her thoughts, Erik stroked her hair and started to sing a song he wrote for her one day when they were living on the streets,

_Nighttime sharpens, heightens each sensation,_

_Darkness stirs and wakes imagination,_

_Silently the senses, abandon their defenses._

_Slowly, gently night unfurls its splendor,_

_Grasp it, sense it, tremulous and tender,_

_Turn your face away from the garish light of day,_

_Turn your thoughts away from cold, unfeeling light,_

_And listen to the music of the night._

Christine's shaking soon subsided as the song began. How she loved this song! It was so beautiful, but it also made her feel sad; as if Erik was trying to tell her something important and it made him sad that she had not figured it out yet.

Before she let him start the next verse, Christine squeezed Erik's waist and lifted her glistening brown eyes to his gentle gold ones. Despite the his deformity, which never bothered her in the first place, Erik was a very handsome man. If he had not been born with such a thing, he could have any woman he wanted, but Christine was almost glad that the awful thing was there; it made sure that she didn't have to share her precious friend with anyone else.

"Yes, Lotte?" he whispered quietly. She looked tired; she had just performed an entire opera and she had to do it all over again tomorrow night.

"Masque," Christine mumbled innocently, "can we go home? I'm sleepy."

Erik nearly burst out in laughter. The last time he heard her talk like this was when she was about 7 or 8 and, frankly, he missed the childish sentences.

"Of course we can, but you'll have to let go of my waist or else it shall be very difficult to walk."

"Can you carry me, like when I was little?"

"I don't know, my dear. People would be staring at us."

"I don't care. I'm sleepy. Please." she whispered as her eyes closed; her breathing becoming slow and even, meaning that Erik had no choice but to carry her home. Cradling her bridal style, Erik made sure Christine was in a comfortable position in his arms, wrapping the cloak more tightly around her trembling body.

"You never cease to amaze me, mon ami précieux." pressing a soft kiss on Christine's light pink lips, Erik immediately knew his feelings were beyond a friendship; it was love. It was not the brotherly or fatherly love it had been the past 15 years, but true love. "Oh Christine."

_Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams,_

_Purge your thoughts of the life you knew before,_

_Close your eyes, let your spirit start to soar!_

_And you'll live, as you've never lived before._

_Softly, deftly, music shall caress you,_

_Hear it, feel it, secretly possess you._

_Open up your mind, let your fantasies unwind,_

_In this darkness that you know you cannot fight,_

_The darkness of the music of the night._

Erik continued to sing softly to his angel. She was now more precious to him than everything else in the world and nothing could take her away from him.

_Let your mind start a journey through a strange, new world,_

_Leave all thoughts of the life you knew before,_

_Let your soul take you where you long to be!_

Softly, Erik pressed his lips to Christine's once again and he could've sworn she sighed and smiled into the kiss.

_Only then, can you belong to me._

_Floating, falling, sweet intoxication,_

_Touch me, trust me, savor each sensation._

_Let the dream begin, let your darker side give in,_

_To the power of the music that I write,_

_The power of the music of the night!_

Finally reaching the small, but cozy, flat, Erik adjusted Christine slightly so he could open the door. It was dark inside, but, thanks to his amazing eyesight, he was able to see where everything was in the little two bedroom flat. Walking to her room, Erik gently laid Christine on her bed; her petite body sinking into the red, silk sheets, the only luxury she allowed herself to have.

Opening the curtains a little bit, for Christine hated to sleep in the dark, the moonlight hit her face and Erik looked upon for the first time with love in his eyes: she looked beautiful; like a porcelain doll. Along with the new emotion, a few lines of lyrics Erik never thought of before popped in his head and he had the urge to say them allowed, probably hoping that Christine was still conscious enough to hear the softly sung words,

_You alone can make my song take flight,_

_Help me make the music of the night._

"I love you so much, mon ange. Please, love me too." he quietly asked her. Tracing her jawline for a few moments, Erik stood up and turned to leave when a small noise made him stop; it sounded as if someone had said his name...

Turning around to see who, or what, made the noise, he saw Christine curled up in his cloak, holding his porcelain mask close to her heart. _How long has she been holding that? Did she take it off in the street? Just now? But, more importantly, how did I not notice?_

Taking a firm hold on his mask, Erik started to gently pull it away, but Christine's hold on the mask only tightened.

Tired, and a little frustrated, Erik pulled harder, but her hold would not let up; instead, she spoke to him, or someone, as if she were awake,

"My mask. My Erik."

_My Erik? Does that mean she....don't be foolish! You've been 'her Erik' since she was a child! Don't get your hopes up because you know what will happen if you do._

"They'll be crushed. Goodnight, my dear. Sleep well and may your Papa watch over you today." he whispered into her hear, pulled the covers around her body, and walked out the door; trying to keep his hopes down and prepared for rejection. _No one has ever truly loved me. Why would she be any different? She only sees me as a friend, which is very different, but that isn't the same. Oh Christine, please, don't hurt me like hundreds of others have. I love you._

^.^

Raoul had seen the whole display between the freak and Christine; it truly disgusted him. _What the hell does she see in this man? He is a monster and has the face of one to boot. Christine, why don't you see that I love you!_

"No matter, you'll be mine a few short months and then, I'll have that monster hunted down and killed like the animal he is." _ Plus, I know a few secrets about your 'friend' that shall frighten you and you'll seek me out for comfort and safety._

Laughing wickedly at his own thoughts, Le Vicomte Raoul de Chagny paid for his meal and quietly followed the couple back to their flat, which lay on the Rue de Scribe.

^.^

Christine was lost in the sound of his deep, melodic voice; leading her into a peaceful sleep.

_Christine sat in her dressing room, waiting for someone to tell her it was time to start the performance for Faust. Looking into her full length mirror, she gasped at what she saw on her face: a white porcelain half mask lay on the right side of her face. It looked oddly familiar, but she couldn't think of where she had seen it before._

_Hearing Meg call her name, Christine turned around and saw a black figure standing in front of her door._

"_Monsieur?" she called out, but the figure's only reply was a finger to his lips; telling her to be quiet. Slowly, the figure drifted towards her and she could make out some of the features; slick black hair, perfect light red lips, strong jaw and cheekbones. The only thing Christine couldn't see were his eyes. Why did the man look so familiar? Why?_

_Keeping his face turned down, as to not show his eyes, he reached out and gently began to pull the mask off her face._

_Feeling an odd need to keep the mask in place, she put her hand on the mask and pushed it back on._

"_Please, monsieur, don't take it off."_

_The man made no reply, but pulled a little harder. Finally fed up with his behavior, Christine gently grabbed the man's face and immediately knew who was trying to steal her mask; the bumpy flesh gave it away. _

_Tears glistened in the golden eyes and Christine felt the urge to cast away the tears she felt she started._

"_My mask, Christine." _

"_My mask. My Erik." she smiled and held him close; darkness closing in on the two._

_^.^_

"Do you have the documents ready?"

"Yes, Monsieur le Vicomte, but why do you need murder files on these men and the arrest charges of this young boy?" the police chief asked the young Vicomte. The men had been killed, but the killer was still unknown; plus, the cases were almost 17 years old. If they had not caught the killer by then, it was a lost cause.

"Nothing really. I'm just doing a little research of my own."

"Oh really. What for, if I may ask?"

"My brother, Le Comte Philippe de Chagny, was stabbed the other night in the same manner as these men, but he is still alive. I believe that whoever this boy is, might now be the the man who attempted to kill my brother." Raoul lied. His brother was perfectly healthy, but these papers were the only things he needed to show Christine and she would be his forever.

**Love it? Did you like the fluff? I'm really bad at gradual love realization and this was literally my first attempt at it, but it wasn't very gradual, was it? Its just so hard because Erik and Christine are so perfect for each other and its AHHH! I need to find another hobby! This is eating away at my very being! I'm like Erik when he composes: I don't eat, sleep, drink, bathe (thats a lie, I do bath and I do get the occasional 4 hours of sleep). Anywho, I hope you guys have a great day or night or afternoon because I have no clue when you'll read this or whatever so R&R and God Bless!**

^.^

**OH! Phantom Fun Fact! I found out that Rue de Scribe means Copyist's Street. Cool, huh?**


	8. The Truth About A Friend

**I'm saying this now so I can get it over with: this is going to be one of my last updates before I leave the site....until September. Thats right! I only plan on having about 2 more updates after this one, but that doesn't mean I'm abandoning my work! Oh no, no, no, no! I'm going on a vacation, even though its still summer and school is a long ways off still, but I need a tiny break. I'll see if I can update my stories, but most likely I won't. So, on a much happier note, thankie for the reviews! I know I pushed the romance a little too fast with Erik, but I plan on.....I'm giving my plot away! Before I give anything else away, here is Chapter 8!**

**Memories**

Christine sat quietly reading on the over stuffed chair beside the fire. The day of her Papa's death was coming to a close and she knew she'd have to give a good excuse to Monsieur Reyer and the managers why she wasn't at the opera house performing. _They'll be furious at me tomorrow, but there was no way I could perform tonight. I probably ended up crying half way through the first act!_

Sighing sadly, she shut her book and looked around her and Erik's small flat; it was cozy, with 2 bedrooms, a little kitchen, and a sitting room/music room. When they had first found the flat about 6 years ago, Erik insisted that they have some form of a music room.

"_I wish to train your voice properly, my dear. Anyways, a piano is not that expensive, unless it is a grand one and I simply just need a small one."_

Speaking of Erik, where was he? He never ran errands this late into the night and it worried her. _What if he's hurt? What if someone saw his face....and-and...I can't think of it! Oh Erik, please hurry!_

Suddenly, there was a soft knock on the door. Erik knew that the door was open, so why was he knocking? Sighing once more, Christine reluctantly got out of her warm chair and made her way to the door.

"I'm coming! Honestly, Erik, you know I al-Raoul!" she gasped as she opened the door. He looked very dashing and a large boyish grin spread across his face.

"Christine! So this is where you live. I was wondering for sometime now where you were hiding from me. May I come in for a moment. I won't stay long, I have other business to attend to." he answered. As usual, Christine was beautiful, even in a simple green dress. _Can't that freak at least buy her nice clothes? Or a larger flat?_

"Of course, come in. I'm sorry about my outburst. For a minute I thought you were Erik and he forgot that the door was open." she giggled and led him into the living room.

Raoul, again looked around the simple room; there barely was anything in there besides a small couch, table, two chairs, and a baby grand piano that sat in the corner, stacks of music nearly as tall as it. _So, the monster can buy a piano, but nothing decent for Christine?_

Christine noticed Raoul looking at the small and simple room and almost felt angry. Was he making fun of the little flat? Was he thinking that they were so poor that this was all they could find? The only reason why they bought the flat was because it was close to the opera and, once Christine took a look on the inside, she fell in love with its coziness.

"Please, Raoul, sit. Let me go make some tea." she plastered on a fake smile, trying her best to push down the anger. Now she knew how Erik felt when people would whisper or stare at them as they walked down the street. _God, Erik, how do you do it?_

Raoul sat stiffly in on the couch, waiting for Christine to return. He knew this was the perfect oppurtunity to tell her about her "friend's" horrid past. When he first read it, he couldn't believe that one boy could do so much damage, but the more he read the more he felt that Christine was in danger. _I should have known that a monster would do this. Luckily I came! God only knows what he could've done to her!_

His thoughts stilled as Christine walked back into the room.

"The samovar is on so it shall only be a few minutes. I've been curious, why are you here so late? Its nearly midnight." she asked as she took her seat in her chair.

"Might I ask you the same? Why are you up so late, my friend?"

"I was waiting for Erik to come home. Oh Raoul, if anythings happened to him, it would be awful! His face. He's been nearly killed because of that dreadful deformity. That was when he got an awful fever because the wounds on his cheek became infected. I thought he was going to die just like Papa, but after 3 long, delirious weeks, he made it. I just hope that never happens again." she gushed. Christine wasn't sure why she was telling Raoul all of this, but she needed someone to talk to and pour out her worries.

Raoul sat and listened, cursing that the creature didn't die. _He would practically be doing the world a favor!_ Turning his head to look at Christine, ready to pull out the documents that he kept in his jacket.

"Lotte, there is something I must tell you before I depart. I found some old, dusty papers while I was at the police station earlier today and I couldn't help but notice that your friend's name appeared several times. Do you wish to look at them?" he smirked, knowing that curiosity would get the best of her.

Slowly nodding her head, Christine watched as Raoul brought forth the papers he'd spoken of and placed them on the tables. She picked up one of them and burst into tears when she read the first line:

_There have been 3 murders in 3 weeks and many believe it could be part of the Erik Destler killings. _

"Erik?"

No! The paper had to be wrong! It _had_ to! Erik wouldn't hurt anyone or anything! Christine cried the whole time she read each document, recording the murders and....the murderer and, even worse, a mug shot of....him. There he was, no older than 6 or 7, dirty, beaten, and his eyes held sadness and regret in the picture. _Why would he do this? Erik is so gentle! He....he...._

"Raoul, is all this true? Please tell me it isn't and that you're playing some sick joke on me." she whimpered and prayed to God that this was all just a joke and Erik would walk through the door, comforting her and telling her he never had done such evil things.

Raoul's smirk became a full fledged smile as he watched her tears flow harder and harder. How fun it was to destroy their relationship! His smile faded into a fake, sad frown and motioned for Christine to sit with him on the couch. Instantly, she had her arms wrapped around his waist and was crying harder at his unspoken answer. He had killed 3 people! The man she'd known all her life, the kind, loving, caring, gentle man, was all a lie. Just one big lie and she, and her Papa, were dumb enough to believe it.

"Christine, stop your tears. I'm here for you. I can take you away from here before he returns._ Say you'll share with me, one love, one lifetime. Say the word and I will follow you. Share each day with me each night each morning. Love me, thats all I ask of you." _Raoul softly sang into her ear. Christine pulled back from her childhood friend and stared at him in shock. He loved her? Really?

"Raoul, I'm sorry. I can't leave, as much as I want to. Erik still needs me and I need him. I-I...." she broke off, not knowing exactly what to say. Why was she defending a murderer? Was it because she still felt like she should stay? Because he'd always been there for her? Or was it....love?

Could she love a someone who killed people? Could Erik love her even if he killed people? _He may have killed people in his past, but, according to the documents, he served his short time and was released and he's never harmed anyone since. Perhaps...living with Erik won't be terrifying._

Raoul stared at her in complete shock; she was staying! This was not part of his plan! His plan was to expose what an awful monster this man was and he would be the knight in shining armor and rescue his Christine and in a few months, they would be happily married and the beast would be gone forever.

"You can't be serious! He's a killer! What if he tries to kill you?" he exclaimed and jumped up from the couch.

Christine sat on the couch, shocked as well by his outburst. Anger then kicked in. How dare he shout at her like this? Crossing her arms and walking into the kitchen, she took the samovar off the stove and walked back into the living room. _Calm down. That trip to the kitchen should have been enough time to drain your anger. Now, act somewhat your age and you might be able to defend Erik even more!_

"Don't you think that if Erik wanted to kill me, don't you think he would have done it already? Besides-" Christine was cut off as Raoul's lips locked onto hers. It was an angry, demanding kiss that told her that if she didn't shut up, she'd regret it. Releasing her lips, Raoul laughed wickedly into her ear once more,

"You will be mine, Little Lotte. Even if I have to take you by force. Goodnight, Mademoiselle."

And without another word, Raoul gathered up the documents that lay on the table and walked out the door.

Christine was stunned by what had just happened. Too much was happening at once. The room started to spin and the last thing Christine remembered was a pair of strong arms cradling her before she hit the wooden table.

**Sorry its so short, but here's your guys final update for a while! Hope you enjoy it and sorry theres no Erik, himself, in this chapter, but I ran out of time. My flight leaves in a few so I must say goodbye and God Bless and for all things that are pure and good, REVIEW!**

**^.^**


	9. A Shattered Heart and A Shattered Night

**Hey, its me again! I know I said I wouldn't update until September but I have some time on my hands that I decided to kill with writing. I appreciate all of your reviews, which I always say when I write, but there is one thing I must make clear: the love Erik had for Christine at the beginning of the story was a fatherly/brotherly love for her. He felt that he had to protect her. Another thing is that the reason why I made Christine so smart was because I believe children can be very intelligent even at a young age. My little brother proves my point! Anyway, sorry if I offended anyone, but I just wanted to get my point across. So, on a much happier note, I present you all with Chapter 9! Enjoy!**

**Memories**

Erik couldn't possibly believe what he was seeing: the Vicomte, that snot nosed brat who was once a close friend of Christine's before her Papa passed, was kissing Christine _and_ she seemed to be enjoying it! The scene broke his heart in two. He had never let himself love someone in fear that they would run from his personality or face or.....his past, but Christine was different. She looked beyond his face, put up with his, sometimes annoying, personality, and she still had yet to learn of his past. _Why? Christine, why are you doing this to me?_

Then, he saw the boy pull away from the kiss and whisper something in her ear that made Christine go extremely pale. Erik moved out of the way as the door to the flat swung open, which revealed a laughing fop.

"Soon, my dear. Soon...."

Erik stood there in his hiding spot dumbfounded. _What does he mean by 'soon'? What is he plaining? _

But before he could think a second longer, he looked through the small window to see Christine beginning to collapse. Quickly and quietly, Erik caught his angel before head made contact with the small wooden table. Getting a better look at her, he noticed Christine was even more pale than he saw earlier, her lips swollen from the....moment she so happily displayed with the Vicomte, but Erik also noticed her drying tears, which still glittered on her cheeks when the candlelight hit them.

"You have been crying, my dear. What has that boy done to make you do cry?" he asked softly and felt his heart ache even more. They were probably tears of joy that had cascaded down her face as the two kissed.

Erik knew he should be angry at her for what she'd done to him, but then he realized that he had only confessed his love to her while she slept. Christine had every right to see any man she wanted as long as Erik didn't reveal his feelings and, maybe, thats how she wanted it to be. Maybe she just wanted to stay friends with him and not make him a lover? Maybe she did have an interest in the Vicomte? And if so, there was nothing Erik could do about it.

"If you do love the boy, my dear, I shall say nothing against it, but bear this in mind, you have broken my heart." he whispered softly into her ear. Gently carrying her into her bedroom, Erik set her on the bed and blew out the single candle that doused the room in soft candlelight.

^.^

Christine ran down a hallway; her breathing heavy. She couldn't remember why she was running, all she knew was that someone, or something, was chasing her.

"Help! Somebody! He's hurt! Please!" she yelled.

Silence.

But, who was hurt? Who had hurt who? Without thinking, she ran to Madame Giry's room and pounded on the door.

No answer.

Turning around, she bumped into a very solid Raoul, who looked dark and menacing.

"Oh, Raoul! You have to help me! He's dying! I don't know what to do." she cried into his chest. His arms wrapped almost possessively around her waist,tightening until it became difficult for her to breathe. "Raoul, let go. It hurts."

"I'm afraid not, Little Lotte. You're mine now and that monster won't ever come between us ever again."

Pulling away from him as much as she could, Christine looked into the once soft blue eyes that were now a deep blood red.

"You're scaring me now. Stop it and what monster? Raoul, someone dear to me is hurt, please, come with me."

Raoul gave her a confused look before a wicked smile spread across his face, "Thats right, you had a name for the beast. Masque, was it?"

Fear welled up inside her. What had he done? Why did it feel like Masque was in danger?

"Wh-what did you do?"

"I killed it so we could finally be together in peace, like you wanted." he answered innocently. Now Christine was truly terrified. She had _asked _for....no. She couldn't have possibly had asked Raoul to....it just wasn't true!

"You're lying to me. I would never ask anyone to harm Masque in anyway." she sobbed; her chest heaving from lack of air.

Raoul pulled her away from his body to look seriously into his eyes. He looked like a confused little boy who had done something wrong, but didn't mean to do it.

"My darling, what are you talking about? You personally asked me last night to kill him this morning."

Her sobbing stopped immediately. She couldn't believe what she was hearing; she had asked Raoul to kill Erik?! This couldn't be happening! It just couldn't!

"Stop lying to me! Stop, stop, stop!" Christine weakly pounded her fists against her once-best-friend's chest. Slowly, darkness closed in around her and a cold chill ran up her spine. Opening her eyes to see what was happening, her brown eyes saw nothing.

"Hello? Raoul? Masque? Somebody?"

Turning around to what she thought was blackness, Christine, once again, bumped into a solid body, but what she saw was the single most horrifying thing she would ever witness; Erik stood in front of her, his face pale and sweaty, mask missing, a small line of blood trickled from his mouth, and finally looking down at his chest, a dagger protruded from where his heart should be, blood soaking every inch of clothing he had. The most painful thing for her to look at were his golden eyes. Once so bright and happy, they held no emotion but pain.

"Erik?" she squeaked. Did she do this to him? Did she make Raoul do this to him?

Erik looked deeply into her eyes, as if peering into her soul and asked one thing, "Why?"

Blood poured from his mouth as the word escaped his lips. Christine cried out in anguish, letting the coldness and darkness take her.

^.^

Erik awoke around 3 A.M. To, what sounded like, muffled screaming. Rushing out of bed in only his robe and black trousers, he burst through Christine's door to find her lying on her bed, screaming her heart out.

Slowly walking over to the side of the bed, Erik grasped her small, cold hand in his larger one and rubbed the sweaty skin.

"Shhh, my dear. Its alright. I'm here now."

"Erik! Oh Erik, I'm so sorry!" she cried out, not hearing a word he had spoken. Feeling her forehead to confirm she wasn't sick, but she was; her skin was warm to the touch and would only escalate if he didn't get her to calm down soon. Walking from her bedroom to the small bathroom, Erik got several damp washcloths. Entering the room once more, he found his angel sitting straight up in bed, fear and horror were etched upon her flawless face.

"Christine?"

Her head twisted to the sound of her name and she nearly lost it when she saw him. He was alive! Erik was alive and not a dying, bloody mess!

"Erik! You're alright!"

Giving her an odd look, Erik walked back over to her and gently pushed her back down onto the bed, but her slightly tanned arms wrapped tightly around his neck with no intention of letting go anytime soon.

Christine never felt so relieved in her life. She thought she honestly had killed someone as dear to her as Erik! But, here he was; perfectly healthy with no signs of death near. In an odd need to see his whole face, she tore the mask off and let it clatter to the ground.

Erik was shocked by Christine's actions. What had scared her so much? Most likely it was just her fever making her act this way, but it still worried him to no end. Pushing her back against the pillows once more, Erik untangled her arms from his neck as he reached for a washcloth. Once the cloth was in place, Erik began to dry her tears with one of the dryer clothes. _How did she get so sick so fast and what could have possibly scared her so much that she thought I was hurt?_

"Christine, do you wish to tell me about your dream?" he whispered. She shook her head weakly and gazed into his golden eyes. Those eyes; they were so gentle and kind, but, when provoked, could bring anger and frustration.....or pain. Suddenly, the image of her dying Erik flashed through her mind and she clasped his hand tightly in hers.

Erik sighed and made to leave, but Christine's grip refused to let up.

"My dear, you need to rest. I promise I won't be far."

"Please stay with me. At least until I'm asleep." she begged weakly. The thought of him leaving terrified her.

A wave of the all-too-familiar-brotherly-love washed over Erik. It was just like when she was little and had her first nightmare of her Papa's death. She had dreamed that Herr Daae had come back, but only to disappear and be replaced by a dark figure that gave off an evil presence. Erik had stayed awake with her all night, comforting her when she burst into tears of grieve or start to scream from another nightmare. _I wish I could control your nightmares, mon ange, but I simply can't._

Smiling, he pulled back the cover of her quilt, revealing her red silk sheets, and gracefully laid down beside her. And, for some reason, he felt a little bit of his shattered heart mend. Maybe if Christine still loved him like this, then maybe she could truly love him like he did?

Burying her head into his chest, Christine felt the nice, cool clothe fall off her hot forehead, but it didn't matter now; Erik was now with her and he was alive and safe.

Before falling into a deep sleep, Christine absently thought of a dream so many years ago that had been similar to the one she just had. Would the terrible dream keep reoccurring? Was it a sign of what was going to happen in the future? She prayed to God and her Papa that it was only a dream.

Little did she, or her angel, know of the devilish things her soon-to-be-husband-by-force had in mind.

"Soon, Lotte. That monster shall be gone soon."

**NO MORE UPDATES! I'm tired so sorry if this chapter kinda jumps everywhere. To put things simply, Erik sorta sees what happens between Christine and Raoul, isn't angry, but heartbroken, Christine has a nightmare, gets sick, Erik comforts her, and Raoul has something evil planned for the our favorite duo. I had a busy week so, like I said, I'm tired and sorry that the chapter sucks. I even admit it sucks and I wrote the damn thing. Sorry, I shouldn't cuss unless its in my story. Told ya I was tired! I did 3 theme parks in 4 days, flew home, swam for 3 hours and now I have to get ready to see my Moma tomorrow. I'm so happy because I haven't seen her since May so yay!**

**R&R and God bless!**

**^.^**


	10. Recovering and Addiction

**Hi everyone! Sorry about not updating, but I had the greatest time in San Diego and I just made the split second decision to stay at my mom's house and we've been trying to get me registered for school and moving my stuff from my dad's house to here and it's all been very stressful! Tonight, I'm seeing Nickelback and nothing can stop me from having a good time! So, I've been brewing over this chapter for a month and a half so I hope you people enjoy it! **

**Memories**

Christine had been on strict bed rest, orders from Erik, for the past two days.

"Erik, can't I please get out of bed? I'm fine! My fever is almost gone and I promise not to strain myself."

Erik looked at Christine complained for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. True, she was getting better, but after _that_ night, Christine still had the recurring nightmare, even though she refused to tell him what it was.

"I don't think so, my dear. You still have a fever and I honestly don't want you to get sick again. You were very difficult to reason with when the fever had its hold on you. Please, just stay in bed and rest and I promise you that if your fever is completely gone by tomorrow morning, I'll get us two tickets for a ship to take us to Sweden."

Erik knew he struck something with Christine because she immediately shut her mouth to whatever protest that was about to escape past her perfect lips.

Christine's eyes widened and her heart hammered in her chest. _Sweden_! He was going to take her back to Sweden?!

"Oh Erik, you have no idea how much that would mean to me! I promise to be a good girl for the rest of the day and I swear that my fever shall be gone by the morning!"

Letting out a low, beautiful laugh, Erik pushed a curl behind his love's ear. He knew she would be excited at the thought of returning to her homeland; it had been 3 years since they had been there and he knew she missed it desperately.

Christine lifted to eyes to meet Erik's soft, laughing golden ones and her breath caught in her throat. When did her friend become so handsome? And those eyes; she'd always loved his eyes, but when did they look so…so…attractive!

Blushing furiously, Christine buried her head into her crimson sheets; not wanting Erik to see the red stain creeping over her cheeks. She could feel his questioning gaze burning into head and slowly she lifted her eyes to meet his and couldn't believe what she saw! He was doubled over, hand clasped over his mouth, trying to stifle his laughter.

"May I ask you, dear Monsieur, what is so funny?" her voice came out muffled and Erik couldn't hold it in any longer. Falling off his chair, Erik rolled on the floor laughing as he'd never laughed before. Christine was really a sight to behold! Her usually perfect curls was just a curly mess, her cheeks flushed, and diving underneath her sheets, for some unknown reason, was just comical! But, as Erik regained his composure, he looked at his embarrassed angel and felt bad for laughing at her. She was still sick and needed his care, no matter how much she protested, and he was here on the floor, laughing at her.

"I'm sorry, Christine. I didn't mean to laugh at you; it's just…you looked so precious. Rest now, dear, and I'll be right back." he smiled as he watched Christine lay back on the pillows; slowly drifting off to sleep.

Erik truly didn't know what he was going to do. He eventually had to tell her his feelings and the kiss he witnessed between her and the boy. Upon entering the small living room, Erik felt tears prick his eyes, not knowing the cause of such tears he quickly brushed them away. _This is insane! She loves the boy, not me! Why else would she kiss him the way she did? Or, did the boy press himself on her…..?_

That thought made Erik's blood boil. The fop might have pressed himself on someone as innocent as Christine?! How _dare_ he! The bastard! But, hadn't Erik kissed Christine several times without her knowledge? _This is confusing! I love her, but I'm no better than that boy!_

Erik slowly sank onto the couch, head resting on arm of the furniture and drifted off to sleep.

^.^

Christine had her eyes closed but she couldn't sleep; she couldn't stop thinking about her confrontation with Raoul. Frankly, it terrified her to the point of her getting sick. The kind boy she'd known for so long had disappeared the evening and something told her that he was never coming back. _Oh Raoul, why do you have to love me? What have I done to you to make you act this way?_

Another thing that plagued her mind was the murders Erik had performed when he was a young child. Erik never spoke of his childhood; she just assumed that he would tell her when he felt ready, but it must have been awful for a child at the age of 6 or 7 kill someone. _Erik! What happened to you to make you kill? _

Christine knew for a fact that Erik had been beaten when he was younger; she'd seen the scars, which brought a bittersweet memory from so many years ago…

_Christine was 10 and it was Erik's 20__th__ birthday neither knew when his real birthday was so they just decided to celebrate it on the first day of summer. So, for his present, Christine had packed a small picnic with Erik's favorite food, the young man had very expensive tastes and it took a long time to save up the money to buy the food, and go down to the small lake that the two had discovered one day while running around in the woods._

_She had been giddy all last evening and all morning, waiting for Erik to come home from his job. Suddenly, Christine heard the front door of the small flat opened and in walked a very tired looking Erik._

"_Happy Birthday, Masque!" she squealed and ran to his arms._

_Erik looked surprised, but then happiness replaced all the surprise and tiredness he had felt a second ago._

"_Thank you, Lotte. How are you today?"_

"_Perfect! Erik, I have a surprise for you!" she said, nearly jumping up and down from her barely contained excitement._

_Raising an eyebrow, he followed the excited child into the tiny living space and gaped at what he saw. A picnic basket full of his favorite, and not to mention expensive, foods, a bottle of wine, and a note:_

_Masque,_

_Joyeux Anniversaire! I hope you have a wonderful day and I hope you enjoy the picnic, but this is only part 1 of your gift._

_Le beaucoup d'amour de votre ange,_

_Christine_

_Erik carefully folded the note and put it into his pocket. Christine watched his face carefully; he looked sad somehow. "Did I do something wrong? Maybe this wasn't such a good idea."_

_Turning to look at her, he looked at her questioningly about the part 2 of his gift. _

_Blushing, Christine answered his gaze, "The other part is taking the basket out to the lake we found and swim. It is dreadfully hot today, plus, I thought it would be a beautiful setting, but we can go anywhere you want to go…." _

"_It's perfect, my dear. Thank for such kindness" Erik smiled and enveloped the small, skinny child. _

_Hugging him back tightly, Christine pulled away and noticed the dark circles underneath his eyes. When was the last time he had slept properly? His job was hard and difficult because it was at night and people made fun of him, but he usually came home every morning before Christine left for her job._

"_Masque, when was the last time you slept?" _

"_I slept yesterday morning, of course."_

"_No, I mean when the last time you really slept was?"_

_Erik sat there, holding Christine for a few minutes before he could answer, "Maybe a week ago. I'm sorry if I've been worrying you, Ange."_

_Christine looked at him sternly for a second but it soon turned into a small grin._

"_Maybe you should take a nap before we leave. I don't want you to be tired."_

"_I don't want to waste all the hard work that you put into this gift. I can nap when we get to the lake, I promise. Oh, why aren't you at work?" he smiled, knowing that Christine had somehow gotten out of work._

_Shrugging her shoulders, she looked innocently into her best friend's golden eyes, "I asked if I could have the day off because it was someone-close-to-me-birthday, so that's that." _

_Kissing her brown curls, Erik stood up, shaking his head as he picked up the basket and followed the little girl out the door._

_After getting to the lake and a few hours of napping, the two friends were enjoying their picnic and the beautiful view of the lake and the meadow that was just beyond it._

"_It's so pretty out here. I wish we never had to leave and go back to work." Christine whined as she took a small sip from her wine glass. Erik looked shocked when he found out that she drank wine, but she told him that when she was little, her Papa would give her just a little bit of wine because it was suppose to be good for the heart. Now Erik looked at her happily and back out to the setting sun; it was starting to cool off, but it was going to be another hot night._

"_I never really get to see you anymore because when I leave for work, you're already heading off to bed and when I get home from work, you're leaving. I miss you, my dear." _

"_Same here, but we need the money or else we'll be out on the streets. But enough of that, I want to go swim!" she jumped up from the ground, removing the top layer of her dress to reveal only a shift underneath, she was still too small to wear a corset, that and they really couldn't afford one, and jumped into the cool water._

"_Come on in, Erik! The water feels amazing!" she laughed as Erik struggled to get out of all of his top layers. "Why do men have to wear so many clothes?"_

_Finally removing his shirt, leaving him in noting but his trousers, Erik jumped into the water, shivering with delight at the coolness of the water._

_The two swam for a good hour before Christine noticed a sharp line going down Erik's chest._

"_Masque, what is that on your chest?" she asked, but regretted it as she saw the sadness and fear enter his golden eyes._

"_They….these are nothing do-don't worry about them." He struggled for the right words._

_Christine swam over to her trembling friend, but she could tell it wasn't from the water; he had actual tears streaming down his face._

"_Erik, please, tell me. These scars do matter." she said, wrapping her tiny arms around his chest. She gasped at the feeling of rough skin across his back. There were __**more?!**_

_Erik continued to cry for several minutes until he calmed down enough. He knew he couldn't tell her about his time with the Gypsies; it still gave him nightmares whenever he would think of those dreadful 4 years. _

"_There are some people who don't view me the same way you do." He whispered sadly. Christine immediately knew what he was talking about: his deformity. It wasn't fair! The world refused to accept his face and so they beat him! Anger slowly started to build up at the thought of her friend being hit. _

"_You don't have to be sad any longer, Erik. If any-anyone even d-dream of tou-touching you, they…they'll b-be sorry." She started crying into his wet chest. _

_Now it was Erik's turn to calm her. _

"_It's alright now, Christine. These scars, and those people, can no longer harm me."_

Smiling at the memory, Christine fell into a light sleep, free of nightmares.

^.^

Erik stretched stiffly as he awoke. "Note to self, the couch is not comfortable to sleep on."

Looking around the room, he noticed Christine moving around the tiny kitchen.

"Good morning, Ange. How did you sleep last night?" He asked, watching her jump a little at his sudden question.

Christine turned around with a hand over her heart.

"Oh Erik! You startled me! I slept wonderfully; no nightmares at all. How about you? I heard you say that the couch wasn't very comfortable to sleep on. I guess we'll have to fix that." She smiled and walking towards him with two small plates full of fresh fruit and pastries.

"Why are you up and walking? You should've waited until I could check your fever." Erik scowled playfully and pressed his hand to her forehead; confirming that her fever was officially gone!

"So, are you keeping your promise and taking me to Sweden, or was that just a bluff to get me to rest?" Christine asked as the two ate quietly.

Erik looked at her as if she were insane. "Of course we're going! I would never joke about something as serious as you visiting your home. After breakfast, which is wonderful, thank you, I'll leave to go get us tickets for the next boat to Sweden." He smiled and kissed the back of her slender fingers.

"Alright. I'm going to the opera house and let the managers knew that I'm taking a small holiday. And you're very welcome about breakfast." Christine said and excused herself from their semi-breakfast table.

Within the next 30 minutes, Erik had set out to buy him and Christine two boat tickets while she went to the Opera Garnier.

"You're what?!" Monsieur Firmin shouted. Monsieur Andre didn't look exactly please either.

"I'm only going to be gone for a few days, Messieurs. I'm going back because it is the anniversary of my Father's death and I wish to visit his grave." Christine whispered. That was one of the many reasons why she was leaving, but it was definitely the main reason.

"Fine! But once your back, don't be surprised if you're in the chorus when you return." Andre shouted and slammed the door in her face. Christine hung her head. This wasn't supposed to happen! All that hard work and now she had to give it up in order to go see her Papa. Oh well, she'd do it all over again if she had to; her Papa was more important to her than her career as a diva, although Erik would be disappointed.

Christine made her way to her dressing her to pick up her traveling clothes and met the last person she wanted to see. Raoul.

"Hello, my dear! How are you this lovely morning?" he asked casually, as if the conversation that took place 3 days ago never happened. Remembering the kiss the two had shared sent shivers down her spine in a very bad way.

"Hello, Raoul. How are you?"

"I'm fine, Lotte. What are you doing here? I just received information from Andre and Firmin that you're taking a small holiday, is this true?"

"Y-Yes. I got sick since I last saw you and as a promise, Erik is taking me to Sweden to see Papa's grave. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get a few things from my dressing room." She whispered and tried to push past him, but he refused to move. "Raoul, please move. I'm in a bit of a hurry."

"I'm sure you are, my Little Lotte." He grinned wickedly. "I'm sure you're in a hurry to go see that monster you call your friend. Well, you won't have to hurry to anything any longer, my dear."

Christine felt terrified as she saw him pull out a need from his pocket. His eyes were no longer soft and kind, but evil and menacing.

"You will be mine if you like it or not." He whispered and took a step towards her.

She was now trembling from fear. Where had Raoul gone? What was in the needle?

"Stop, Raoul. I-I mean it!" she yelled, turning to run away, but not before he grabbed her arm and turned her to face him.

"You're not running from me any longer, understand?" his alcohol scented breath stung her eyes and nose.

Struggling with all her might, Christine felt the needle poke her skin and the warm liquid seeping into her veins. Everything soon became a blur and Christine felt as if she didn't have a care in the world. What was the drug that Raoul had just slipped her?

Raoul laughed wickedly as he saw the morphine slowly spread through her veins. She would have no idea what she would be agreeing to; easily taking her to his chateau for the next few months, where he would make her dependent on the drug and make her his drugged bride.

"Are you ready to come with me now, Christine?" he asked gently, pulling her along the hallway.

"Yup! What drug did you give me? It feels wonderful." She sighed and twirled on her graceful ballerina toes.

"Morphine, my dear, and there is plenty more where that came from. Do you want more?"

Nodding her head, Christine willingly followed her new supplier, forgetting everything that she had had planned for that day, just enjoying the delicious drug that flowed through her.

Getting into the carriage, Raoul gave Christine another dose so she could fall asleep on the trip back to his home, but unknown to both of them, especially Christine, Erik watched, anger and sadness washing over him, but he could tell something was not quite right. Not right at all.

"I'm coming, Christine. Whatever that fop has done to you, I'll reverse it. I love you."

**Okay, the ending sucked, but it kinda came to me when I was dreaming so the details really aren't that great. I tried my best to add detail, but to really no avail! Well, love it? Hate it? I can't stick around for much longer, I gotta straighten my hair before I leave for the concert! I'm so gonna rock tonight!**

**Have a nice rest of your summer and if you've already started school, have an awesome school day and please wish me luck for moving and that nothing gets lost with FedEx.**

**God Bless!**

**^.^**


	11. Heavenly Highs and Hellish Lows

**Yay! More updating! I'm going to hopefully be updating ****Red Rose Thorns**** soon, but, lately, no inspiration is coming to me to write that story, but as soon as it comes, I'll be on my computer typing away. I go as the muse commands and my muse is telling me to update ****Memories****, so, yeah. Here it is! There is one more thing I gotta tell you guys: I just started school and I already have a mountain of homework so if I don't update for a few days, or weeks, don't freak out. I'm probably studying my French or something along the lines of that!**

**Memories**

Christine felt as if she was on a cloud and she never wanted to come back down. She and Raoul had reached his chateau and she was currently twirling around her room, slurring a song that was all too familiar to her, Music of the Night, but she couldn't remember who had first sang the song to her.

_Grasp it, sense it,_

_Tremulous and tender._

_Turn your face away,_

_From the garish light of day,_

_Turn your thoughts away,_

_From cold, unfeeling light,_

_And listen to the music of the night!_

The lyrics slipped happily off her tongue, but, for some reason, she felt sad as she sang the beautifully written words. Then, she remembered a small part that someone had sang to her when she was sleeping and decided to change the song: _I alone can make his song take flight. He can create the music of the night!_

Finishing her song, Christine picked up the syringe and vile of morphine which sat on her vanity; she filled up the needle to the amount Raoul had showed her and found the vein in her arm. Within seconds, the wonderful drug worked its magic on her body. Now she understood why people did this to themselves: it felt nice. She felt like she could take on the world and not care what other other's thought of her. Crawling over to her silky sheeted bed, Christine fell asleep in mere seconds; dreaming of a handsome young man with a white porcelain mask covering half his face.

"Erik."

^.^

Erik rode his horse, Cesar, towards the de Chagny home. After their carriage had left, he discovered the needle Raoul had shoved into his beloved's arm; it was half full with morphine. Erik knew the drug well; he himself took the drug after Signor Giovanni had died. The pain of losing the man who had first accepted him for who he was, and not for his face or past, was too much to bear so soon after the death of Herr Daae, so, he turned to the sweet, blissful morphine to soothe all his troubles. Christine couldn't have been any older than 8 when he started, he couldn't remember her exact age because of his drugged stupor, but he could remember her small hands grabbing at his wrist; her pleading brown eyes, sparkling with unshed tears, looking up into his hazy, unfocused golden eyes…

_Erik sat at his piano, crying over the death of the man he considered a father. Signor Giovanni had passed away less than a week ago and he had started the horrible habit of buying morphine from dealers and injecting himself, usually in front of the innocent Christine; who always looked strangely at him whenever he would perform this act._

"_Masque, are you alright? Do you need anything?" her little voice asked from behind. Jumping from her sudden question, Erik looked wildly at her and abruptly stood up from his bench; fists balled up in anger. Drug induced anger that Christine had never meant to trigger._

"_WHY DO YOU CARE?! HUH? Do you really think I need anything? The only things that I need are my mask and morphine! I don't give a damn about what happens to you! Leave! NOW!" he yelled and knocked Christine onto the floor; where she now lay huddled in a ball, tears coming out of her horror filled eyes. Turning from the annoying child, Erik grabbed the vile and needle and filled it up to a dangerous level. _

_Even at her young age, Christine could tell that if Erik injected himself with that much morphine, he would be in serious trouble. Quickly getting off the floor, she wrapped her little hand around his thin wrist before the needle pierced his skin._

_Erik looked down at the tiny, frightened child in front of him. She was trembling and her brown eyes were still filled with tears._

"_Please, Masque? Please s-stop the morphine. I-I-I…I can't stand seeing y-you like this. I know Pa-Papa and Signor Giovanni would b-be sad if they…if they…could see y-you like this." She stammered through the whole thing, looking heavenward so her tears wouldn't fall. Erik couldn't understand what the child was trying to do until he saw her other hand reaching for the needle._

"_No, my dear. Needles aren't meant for children."_

"_But it's also not meant for you!" she wailed. Why couldn't he figure out why she was holding his wrist? Or the morphine filled syringe?_

_Erik sat at his piano bench; no longer crying, but dropping his drug and pulling Christine into his arms._

"_I'm sorry, Ange. I'm so sorry. I promise I'll never treat you like that again."_

Shaking his head of the painful memory, Erik continued on his trip to the de Chagny chateau, which was now coming into view.

"I'm almost there, mon Ange. Hold on just a few more hours."

^.^

Christine felt as if someone had taken a hammer to her head; she couldn't remember what had happened the previous night. Slowly sitting up, which proved to be a horrible idea as her head spun and vomited all over the ivory sheets, she wasn't able to tell what, or whose, room she was in. Getting up from the bed, which was just as equally excruciating s sitting up, she saw a syringe and a vile. Picking up the little glass bottle it read morphine and then everything came back to her: Erik promising her that he would take her to Sweden when she felt better, her going over to the opera house to inform the managers, and…Raoul. He had drugged her with the morphine and kept her on it all night long.

Running towards the door, her pounding head be damned! She needed to speak with Raoul right this second! Grasping the doorknob, Christine turned it and found it wouldn't budge.

"RAOUL! Open this God damn door right now! Now, now, now, NOW!" Christine yelled and pounded with all her might. Finally, she heard footsteps coming down the hallway, but all it turned out to be was her maid.

"Mademoiselle Daae? Do you wish to have a bath?" the frightened, old maid timidly asked; afraid of disobeying her master's orders. Christine shot a hateful glance towards the woman. Why couldn't Raoul come to her in person? Why was she here? What the hell was going on?

"I want to talk to Raoul. Show me where he is and I'll do whatever you want me to."

The poor maid looked at her as if she had ants crawling out of her eyes.

"Mademoiselle! You can't see the master right now! He'd be furious! Ever since you declined his invitation to dinner after your performance, he has never been the same. His temper is fiery, he stays in his study all day, and all he ever does drink. It frightens us to no end."

Christine felt ashamed for her outburst earlier. The maid had done nothing but ask her if she wanted a bath and what did she do? Being mad and bitter towards a woman she barely even know.

"I'm sorry, Madame. Actually, I would appreciate a bath and is there any chance you can give me something for my headache? If you could, that would be wonderful." She smiled and turned to walk to the immense closet that sat in a corner of the room.

Christine knew that Erik teaching her how to hear every little sound would eventually pay off; as the maid turned towards the bathroom, Christine darted for the bedroom door.

It was silent in the hallway, but just a few doors down, she could hear a glass breaking. _Raoul. The drunkard._ Quietly walking down the hall, she spotted the staircase and felt a surge of relief wash over her. _So close! Just a few more feet and I can be with Erik again! _At that thought, Christine stopped dead in her tracks. Why did she feel that she needed to go straight back to Erik? First of all, she didn't even know where he was! What did she feel for her friend and guardian? He was a murderer after all, but…he never had tried to harm her in anyway…but what was this confusing feeling? Was it sympathy? Was it pity? Love?

Finally reaching the bottom of the marble staircase, Christine felt a hand on her arm. Thinking it was Raoul, she twisted around, only to end up twisting her own arm in the process, and let out a gasp. It was Erik. He had come to get her! Not being able to find her voice, Christine flung her arms around his strong neck; burying her face in his shoulder.

Erik never felt so relieved; he had been able to get his love out of the mad boy's home before he could do anything to her. Shaking at the thought, he let his arms lay gently on her waist, one hand stroking her silky brown curls. Christine felt Erik shaking, but decided to leave it be. He was here with her now and she wanted nothing more than to just stand there in his strong, thin arms.

"Erik, you smell nice." She said, pulling back enough to look into his eyes. He did smell wonderful; like roses with a hint of mint. Erik stiffened at her comment. He had just come back to rescue her from her insane friend and all she could say was that he smelled nice? _Calm down, Erik. She must be in shock. You would be too if your old childhood friend had drugged you and took you to their home. She probably didn't expect you to come and bring her home._ "Thank you, my dear. Now, we must hurry before anyone discovers you are missing." And just as the sentence left his mouth, a shriek erupted from the top floor, "Too late." He smiled; brotherly instinct taking over, he took Christine's small, shaking hand into his larger, and equally shaking, hand, the two were able to escape through the backdoor, but not before a drunk Vicomte seeing them.

"So, monster, you take her away from me once again, but, little do you know what is laced within that morphine." He laughed wickedly and finished off his 3rd bottle of the morning.

^.^

After putting Cesar back into his stable at the opera house, Erik turned around and saw Christine sitting on top a bale of hay, looking paler than ever.

"Christine, are you alright? You look pale." He asked; his knuckles gently brushing against her cheek. She had been quiet the whole ride back; maybe she was still registering all that had happened to her. Catching his hand, Christine looked up at Erik's face, but everything was becoming blurry; his face going in and out of focus. Feeling the familiar pounding beneath the skull, she felt herself fall off the bale, Erik yelling her name over and over, but she couldn't find her lips to tell him she was fine. Then, as if things couldn't get any worse, a horrible, blinding pain started to spread throughout her body. What was happening? What could she ha-morphine! _Raoul…Ra…oul…._

"E-Eri-Erik….hurt. P-pain…Rao-Raoul….morphine!" she screamed and felt the tears rolling down her cheeks.

Erik couldn't believe what was happening! One minute, Christine is fine and talking to him, and now, she looked as if she was dying! There must have been something in the morphine….or an overdose with a delayed reaction…

"Don't worry, Ange. You're going to be fine. Just calm down."

"NO! I-it…it hu-hurts! Hu….hurt…love…" her voice trailed off; her small body going limp in his arms.

Erik sat in absolute horror; was she dead?! She was still breathing, but she was still. So still.

"Hang on, Christine. I'm here now." He whispered in her ear; brother and lover affections mixing into one, he picked her up, hoping he could remember how to get to the hospital. After leaving the stables, Christine stirred in his arms a tiny bit, but the movement wasn't the only thing that made him stop dead in his tracks. It was what she said, "I love Erik. I love him."

**I'm sorry if this chapter sucked. This story shall be wrapped up shortly so I can focus more on my other story so yeah. I've been writing this chapter late at night so that might be part of why it sucks, but here it is whether you want it here or not. REVIEW!!!!!!**

**^.^**


	12. A Dedication

**Alright, people! This chapter is going to be very personal for me because it is dedicated to my Great Grandma Ann who passed away just two days ago. I was super close to her and she was like the most awesome woman you could ever meet. So, there will be a character in here that will portray exactly how my Great Gram was so, enjoy and review! ^.^ I wish I had happier notes for you guys. Oh, and there is a little smut in this chapter, actually….I'm not saying anything!**

**Memories**

Erik ran as fast as he possibly could through the streets of Paris. Christine had fainted in his arms from a drug overdose or some sort of poison…no, he couldn't think of the worst right now, but why couldn't he remember where the bloody hospital was?! He knew he couldn't give up, it could very well likely kill Christine, but he felt his body starting to grow weary with all of the day's events and he also knew he couldn't go on for much longer.

Reaching the end of the street, Erik stopped, trying desperately to stay awake and not collapse with Christine in his arms, he saw a sign in the window, _Docteur Aleron Simon. Open at all hours. Accept emergencies. Nurse on call: Mignon Fournier. _

Erik kicked the door gently, but hard enough for the people inside to hear, while trying to hold Christine without shaking her. After a few seconds, a petite woman answered the door. She had jet black hair with a little gray, nearly flawless skin, full lips, and a slight smile on her face. Her mouth opened to greet him and, most likely, invite him inside, but, abandoning his manners, he jumped right to his story,

"Pardon me, Madame, but you must help this girl. You see, she is my…sister and she has been taking, what I believe to be morphine, but something has gone horribly wrong. She started screaming and telling me that she was in pain. After that, she fainted and I have no idea where the nearest hospital was and I hope you can help her. She is the only family I have left." His voice dwindled down to a choking whisper as he looked upon Christine's pale, and seemingly lifeless, face. _I've failed, Herr Daae. I couldn't take care of your daughter. I'm so sorry. Please, forgive me._

The woman looked at the young man with compassion and sympathy. He looked exhausted, afraid, worried and the girl he cradled in his arms….she almost looked like she was sleeping peacefully. _But that, most of the time with drugs, is a bad thing._ She could also tell that the man was telling her a little white lie. Just by the way he looked at the girl, with love and sadness in his eyes, she could tell that he loved her dearly.

"Of course I'll help her. The docteur has gone home for the night, but I'll do the best I can for her until he arrives tomorrow morning." She smiled at the man, but he did not look convinced. What if the woman did fail in saving Christine's life? What if she couldn't find out what was wrong with her in time? What if….what if…

The feeling of someone moving in his arms broke Erik's train of thoughts. Looking back down at Christine again, he saw that her eyes were open, which were filled with pain and fear, as she tried to talk to him.

"No, don't, Ange. Save your strength and I promise you'll feel better soon. And Erik Destler never breaks his promise." He whispered in her ear. Remembering the saying from her childhood, Christine chuckled a little, but soon fell back into a deep and dreamless sleep.

The woman, or nurse, smiled again, "Come in now, please and lay her gently on the bed by the window; I'll be right back." And with that, she disappeared into another room. Doing as the nurse told him, he set his love on the bed. Looking out the window, there was a beautiful garden full of roses, lavender, fruit trees, several bushes, and a small pond right in the middle of the garden. _Christine would love to see the garden; it's so beautiful. Maybe when she wakes up, if she wakes up…._ Before his emotions got the better of him, the nurse walked back in with sheets, a blanket, a couple of pillows, and a glass of water, at least it looked like water.

"Monsieur Destler, will you help me make her more comfortable? I'm sure that when she wakes, she probably wouldn't like it if she found herself on just a mattress."

Erik nodded numbly as he reached down to pick up Christine so that the nurse could begin to make the bed. Setting her light body on in a nearby, over-stuffed chair, vaguely looking like the chair back in their flat, he walked back over and grabbed a handful of the soft, cream color sheets; fighting back his tears. He felt as if he failed his promise to Christine; he failed to take care of her, failed to protect her….

Feeling a hand softly resting on his shoulder, he turned and saw the nurse looking at him like a mother would to a small child. "Monsieur Destler, it's alright to cry. You have no need to feel ashamed or weak if you do; it shows that you are worried about her well being. Like I said, I promise I'll do everything in my power to help her and make her comfortable until the morning. And Madame Mignon Fournier never breaks a promise." She quoted and squeezed his shoulder gently. Erik felt all his defenses fall as he cried his fears and pain into the blanket meant for Christine. He was so frightened when she had fainted in his arms and he still was, but the nurse, Madame Fournier, made him feel safe. She was like the mother he had been denied his whole life.

Madame Fournier rubbed Erik's back, trying her best to calm him. "Everything is going to be alright, Monsieur. I promise." But, it seemed like no matter what she told him, he cried even harder. He was reacting like he had already lost her, like she was already dead. What kind of life had this man known if he cried like this in front of a complete stranger?

After what felt like an eternity, Erik lifted his face from the blanket and looked at Madame Fournier. She had a compassionate look on her slightly wrinkled face and then he knew he was leaving Christine in good hands. "Madame, do you mind if I stay her for the night? I cannot leave her until I know she'll live."

"You may. Would you like me to get you one of the extra beds from another room? So far, she is the only patient we've got. We usually don't get many emergencies at night, so I'm sure the docteur won't mind. And while I'm up and about, would you like something to eat or drink?"

Erik was taken aback by all the things Madame Fournier was offering; he was not used to this kind of behavior from people. Most look at his mask once and turn their backs to him. And then it hit him; his mask! The nurse never once commented on his mask! Stuttering like a fool, he accepted the offer and walked back over to Christine, who was still unnaturally pale, but her lips had gone from pale to a sort of pinkish color. _At least it's something._ Gently kissing her cheek, Erik walked out of the room to help Madame Fournier with the bed and food.

Finding the woman in what he guessed was the kitchen, he stood next to her; not making a sound. When Madame Fournier finally turned to face him, she jumped and nearly dropped a tray full of food.

"Goodness, Monsieur, you nearly gave me a heart attack! Is Mademoiselle…"

"Christine Daae."

"Mademoiselle Daae alright? Has she woken up?" worry evident in her voice. Erik shook his head slowly and reached for the tray.

"Madame, you are too kind, really. Thank you for everything that you're doing for us."

Putting a motherly hand on his shoulder and smiled a kind, warm smile, "It's alright. Nothing happens at this time anyway and I occasionally get lonely. Now, before I keep talking, let's go find out what is wrong with Mademoiselle Daae."

Walking back into Christine's room, Madame Fournier took her pulse, which was weak, lifting her eyelids, Madame Fournier found her pupils were nearly pinpoints, and her breathing was becoming shallow and labored; all signs of a morphine overdose, but, something wasn't quite right. Usually a symptom of an overdose occurs within a few minutes of injecting the drug, Monsieur Destler told her these symptoms started after an hour or two. Checking out the rest of Mademoiselle Daae's body, she also found a little trickle of blood coming out of the side of her head. _A concussion? How did that happen? _Even though that helped explain why she had fainted; Madame Fournier still couldn't understand why the morphine overdose symptoms were suppressed. _Maybe the docteur will know. _And then it hit her! Jimsonweed! Quickly leaving the room, she dashed past a horrified looking Monsieur Destler and grabbed two bags; one for the morphine and one for the Jimsonweed. Running back into Mademoiselle Christine's room, she called for Erik to come in.

Erik nearly died when he saw the nurse run in and out of the room and now his whole body had gone numb; had Christine died? Was she even worse? Walking slowly into the room, he watched as Madame Fournier stuck two needles into Christine's arm and started to wrap gauze around her head. After finishing her handy work, Madame Fournier turned around and smiled triumphantly at Erik, "She is going to be perfectly fine. She just needs a few days to recover from the overdose and the jimsonweed."

Erik gave her a puzzled look and it hit the nurse that not many people knew of the plant.

"Follow me, Monsieur, and I'll explain to you what is happening."

Erik reluctantly followed the woman into an immense library, which was undoubtedly belonged to the docteur. Picking up a rather large volume, Madame Fournier flipped through page after page until she found the one she was looking for; jimsonweed.

"Monsieur, jimsonweed, also known as Angel's trumpet, is a deadly plant that can cause headaches, dizziness, vomiting, coma, hallucinations, so don't be afraid is she starts talking or screaming, just come and get me if that happens, elevated blood pressure, fever, thirst, dry mouth, convulsions, which in case that does happen, immediately leave her and get me, delirium, so she might not know who you are when she wakes up, but in time she'll remember, and in the worst case, and most unlikely scenario, death." And at that word, Erik paled so badly that he looked like a ghost. Death? Christine could _die_ from this?

"She can die?" he choked on each word. _Why, God, why?! She has done nothing to deserve this! NOTHING! I should be the one in that bed with all the needles and bandages wrapped around me, not her. Not Christine._

Grabbing his hand tenderly, Madame Fournier continued to tell him the diagnosis, even though it was hard for him, and for her, to tell, "She also has a slight concussion on the side of her head. Monsieur Destler, can you tell me everything that has happened to her."

Taking a deep breath, Erik looked into the caring grey eyes and began his story, "A few days ago, Christine had fainted after a visit from the Vicomte de Chagny and caught a fever the same night. I put her on strict bed rest, hoping she would get better, which she did when I told her I would take her back to her hometown in Sweden. While I went to go get boat tickets, she went to go talk to the managers at the Opera Garnier, where she has become the understudy of La Carlotta, and she never returned back to our flat. I got worried, thinking she had relapsed and quickly went to the opera house. There, I found her being dragged by the Vicomte de Chagny; he was also injecting her with morphine, which I used to take myself and I was able to reach the chateau by nightfall, but I got lost along the way. When I finally reached the house, Christine appeared to be fine, exhausted and terrified, but fine. On the way back to the opera, she told me everything that had happened, but by the time we reached the stables of the opera, her eyes were going in and out of focus, she collapsed on the ground, and started to scream. That is everything that has happened before we got here."

Madame Fournier listened intently and felt her eyes go wide at the mention of the Vicomte. Wasn't he a kind, gentle, caring man? She had always heard from the patients she treated from the Garnier that the Vicomte was a good patron and never tried to take advantage of anyone. She had also heard that the young man was engaged to an unknown woman. "Monsieur, are you sure you've got the right Vicomte?"

Erik's eyes had an angry glow to it, but he made sure he kept his temper in check; in case the nurse would kick them out of the house, "I assure you, Madame, that this is the exact Vicomte. He and Christine were once close friends when she lived in Sweden."

"And how is it that you know her?" the nurse asked quietly and trying her best not to get too nosy.

"When I met her, I was under the apprenticeship of Signor Giovanni, a great architect and mason from Rome. He had heard about a well known violinist, Herr Daae, and wanted to meet the man; that and he also knew I had a passion for music, but I really never trusted people when I was that age. Anyway, Herr Daae was showing symptoms of an illness I had seen before but couldn't remember the name. So, I gave him a remedy that the Gypsies, yes I did spend some time with them; not a memory I really wish to recall. After that, we left with intentions of coming back the next summer, but when it came around, Herr Giovanni had grown ill too and I sent a letter telling Herr Daae what was going on and he took a boat out to meet me and I was able to make it back to Sweden. During my stay there, my heart, which once in a while has problems, had a minor attack, but nothing that I wasn't used to. When I woke up the next day, Herr Daae had collapsed and then I knew I got the diagnosis wrong and I gave him the wrong drug. Within 5 days, Herr Daae passed and he left Christine in my care. For the past 15 years, I have been watching over her; we've been homeless, near death several times, had flats, houses, and anything you can basically think of. I made money by selling my music by day and working at the Garnier by night and, despite my protests, Christine started working at a bakery when she was 6; I was 16."

Madame Fournier was near tears at the story. These two had been so close for so long that it would definitely crush Monsieur Destler if Mademoiselle Daae died. Her heart also went out to the young woman who lay asleep in the bed. Looking back at Monsieur Destler, she saw a few tears fall out of his unusual golden eyes. Speaking of unusual, she noticed for the first time the mask that was on his face. He looked pretty normal to her, but, during all her years as a nurse, she knew never to expect the normal.

"I'm sorry if this is too personal for you, Monsieur, but could I take a look at what is underneath your mask?"

Erik tensed at the question and looked at her with betrayal in his eyes. Why did she have to ask? Why? He thought that she didn't care that it was there; that the deformity was there! Ripping his mask off, Erik flung it across the room and put his face in his hands; his shoulders shaking from the anger and pain he felt.

"Fine! If you want to see it, look! This is who I am! This is the demon who has been taking care of the angel and look at what I have done to her!" he cried; giant tears rolled down his bumpy, scarred skin.

Madame Fournier just stared at Erik. She had never seen anything like it before, but it was not the worst thing either. Standing up, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and for what seemed like the hundredth time that night, she comforted him like only a mother could.

^.^

Raoul sat in front of the giant fireplace, sipping his glass brandy; wondering if Christine was dead or alive. _Who cares. She is a bitch and a whore. _Throwing his glass into the fire, he heard a knock on his study door. Curious why anybody would disobey his orders of leaving him alone, Raoul opened the door to come face to face with a terrified maid.

"Why the hell are you here?! Speak now or leave!" he shouted and shook her shoulders. She looked almost like Christine; brown eyes, small, skinny body. The only difference was that her hair was blonde and straight, unlike Christine's brown and curly locks.

"M-Moniseur….we've f-found the whereabouts of the D-Daae girl." She stuttered and looked at the floor; too frightened to make eye contact with her insane master.

"Where is she?"

"At a local physician's. His home is maybe an hour away by carriage and she was seen being carried in by a man with a white mask on the right side of his face."

Raoul smirked and grabbed the maid's hand, "Thank you. Now, can you do me another favor?" the maid hesitantly nodded her head; he smiled wickedly and whispered into her ear. The maid paled and began to shake as he led her into the study, removing her clothes roughly and swiftly.

Tears began to pour out of her eyes as he kissed her and touched her in places she only wanted her fiance, one of the stable boy's who worked at the mansion, and tried to pull away, but she felt Raoul's grip on her tighten. "Please, Monsieur, don't do this to me. I'm engaged, please." Her voice became panicked as he bit her neck; drawing blood from the wound.

"I don't think so, Adora; I think I'll tell Ralph that you and I were having a little affair behind his back and that you have no intention in marrying him. How does that sound?" he growled as he pushed her onto the table. Adora landed on top of a glass, which broke and dug into her skin.

"Please, don't, Master! I'll do whatever you want, but please leave Ralph out of this!" she wailed as she watched him take off his shirt and trousers. It terrified her! She had only seen her Ralph naked once, and that was a complete accident! But this was….beyond words! Pushing her into a laying position, Raoul didn't even hesitate; he pushed into her and ignored her cries of pain. All he cared about was himself and that in less than 3 months, he would be doing this with Christine.

^.^

Erik finally calmed down after a few minutes, but didn't want to lift his head to see the pity in the woman's eyes. He felt like a child again; small, weak, helpless…

Madame Fournier let go of him and held him at arm's length. Then, she heard the rustling of sheets and looked over to find Mademoiselle Daae staring at Erik; her pinpoint pupils showed that she was still under the affects of the morphine overdoes, but she had to check on her to make sure the antidote was doing its job. So far, her pulse was slightly stronger and her breathing a little deeper. Stroking the girl's forehead, there were no signs of fever, which also meant that the two drugs were working well together. Standing up, she let Erik take her place in front of Christine while she went to go get a new bag of antidote, and to give the couple some alone time.

Not truly believing what he was seeing, Erik took Christine's small hand in his; his thumb gently rubbing circles on her palm. "Christine? Lotte, how are you?"

Christine opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She squeezed his hand and stared at the glass of water that was by her bed. Erik followed her gaze and slowly propped her up with some of the pillows from his bed. He handed her the water, but still held onto it when he saw that she could barely move, and she drank the whole glass in seconds.

"T-Thank yo-you." She stuttered hoarsely. Erik sighed with relief that she could talk, but that still didn't mean that she knew him or not.

"Christine, do you know who I am? Erik?" he asked softly; hoping she would remember. Christine gave him a curious look and slowly nodded her head, "Masque?"

Erik felt a smile cross his face; she knew him! She remembered! Before he could ask her anything else, Christine's face contorted in pain as she gripped her stomach. Like on cue, Madame Fournier rushed in with a needle in her hand and connected it to the cord which lead down the needle in her arm and the up to the pouch. "Shh, dear. You're going to be fine. I know it hurts, but in a day or two it shall be all gone. Monsieur Destler, can you calm her? She is developing a fever and I must get some ice, but I must run next door to get some." She spoke so fast that Erik could barely comprehend what she said. Nodding his head, he watched her grab her cloak and speed out the door.

Turning his attention back to Christine, her face was still etched in pain but now her skin was turning red with the fever.

"Erik! Erik!" she sobbed his name and clung to his hand. _She must be delirious. I can't believe a fever could spike that rapidly! _Caressing her cheek with his free hand, he did the only thing he could do: sing.

_No one would listen, _

_No one but her, heard as the outcast hears._

_Shamed into solitude, _

_Shunned by the multitude;_

_I learned to listen,_

_In the dark my heart heard music._

_I long to teach the world,_

_Rise up and reach the world._

_No one would listen; _

_I alone could hear the music._

Christine's grip on his hand lessened at the sound of Erik's voice; knowing that she was going to be alright, even though she felt like she was dying.

_Then at last, a voice in the gloom,_

_Seemed to cry, "I hear you!";_

"_I hear your fears, your torment and your tears."_

Erik felt Christine's hand slacken and panicked that she might be slipping away, but he noticed that a smile played across her face; telling him that she was not going to give up so easily.

_She saw my lonelieness,_

_Shared in my emptiness._

_No one would listen,_

_No one but her, heard as the outcast hears._

Kissing her hot forehead, Erik rose from the bed and turned around to find Madame Fournier; tears coming out of her grey eyes. "Monsieur, that was beautiful. You truly care about her. I can take care of her now; how about you try and get some sleep? I'll wake you if anything out of the ordinary happens or when I know she gets better."

"Madame, I can't. I can't sleep knowing she is like this."

"Erik, you must get some rest. You cannot help her if you are tired or fall ill. Nurses orders." She smiled again; seeing the shock on his face as she used his name. Erik admitted defeat and slowly walked over to the bed and fell asleep in seconds.

^.^

Adora lay on the cold, unforgiving floor; trying her hardest not to think about what had just happened. After her master first began to move in her, she felt pleasure like none she had ever felt before, but then she remembered Ralph and became terrified once more.

Now that the Vicomte lay fast asleep on the floor, Adora knew she couldn't let the poor Daae girl suffer what she had just suffered. Moving as quietly as possible, she dressed and raced down the grand staircase and out the door. Rushing to the stable, Adora ran into a body. Noticing who it was, she wanted to get out of the stable, but his rough, yet soft, hand grasped her wrist.

"Adora, darling, what is the matter? You look terrified!" Ralph asked; worried about the look of horror on his fiancee's face. Adora shook her head and tried to speak, but nothing came. She was too afraid that Ralph would not believe her and think that she slept with the Vicomte out of her own accord.

"Dear, you know that you can tell me anything. You know that right?" Ralph now became panicked. Usually she told him everything, even if it was stuff he had no desire to hear, so there was something definitely wrong.

Adora nodded and burst into tears, "Ralph! Oh my God, Ralph, please don't hate me! Please don't!" she clung to his well built middle and looked into his eyes. She looked at his blue eyes, the eyes she fell in love with, his high, slightly protruding cheekbones, and his black, curly hair hung in his eyes a little and cried harder. She felt his hands run up and down her back and she flinched a little; remembering how the Vicomte's glass scarred her back and how he kissed and licked her blood.

Ralph couldn't understand why she flinched until he felt a sticky substance on his fingers and he knew it could only mean one thing: blood. "Adora, tell me exactly what happened!"

"Th-The Vicomte…h-he…t…touched m-me! Oh God, he ra-raped me! He p-pushed….me-me against the…table an-and a glass…b-broke on m-my back! P-Please don't hate m-me! I-I didn't…want it…it to happen!"

Ralph felt all the rage in the world enter his body, but right now, he knew he had to calm his fiancée before she went into hysterics. "Adora, my love, I will never hate you. I believe you. With the way the Vicomte has been acting, I should've gotten you out of there. I'm so sorry."

Adora's sobs quieted down to sniffles as she shook her head once more, "No; it's not your fault, but something awful is going to happen. Ralph, remember back when we were small, after Mademoiselle Daae had left with the masked boy, and the Vicomte bragged to us that he was going to marry her?"

Ralph's brow furrowed, but nodded; wondering if she was in shock or if she was going somewhere with this, "Well, when I was cleaning out his study, I read the paper and it said that he was engaged to an unknown girl. I believe that the unknown girl is Daae. I told him where she was and now I believe that she may be in danger! Ralph, if anything happens to her, I don't know what I'll do!" tears came out of her eyes once again.

Ralph rocked her back and forth and kissed a bruise that was beginning to form over her right eyebrow.

"Darling, let me get a carriage ready and we can go find her. Sit here and I'll be right back." He smiled and swiftly walked into the stable. Adora wrapped one arm around her waist and her other hand went to her apron pocket, which held the only photo of her father. From what her Maman had told her, he had sailed to France, but his ship never came back home to Finland and he had died. The photo was old and fading, but there stood her Maman, her blonde hair was pulled back into a loose bun, a protective hand over her bulging stomach, and her Father, his brown, curly hair and brown eyes smiled as his hand rested on top of her Maman's.

She remembered being about 4 when she and her Maman came over from Finland to France, but they soon became poor and Adora had to become a maid as her Maman became…a prostitute. Every day she searched for her Father, but to no avail.

"_Maman, what was Father's name?" she asked when she was about 6._

"_Gustave, my darling. Gustave Daae."_

**So, what do you think? I shaped the nurse after my Great Gram Ann and even her name was picked out to describe her. Mignon means petite and feminine. My Great Gram Ann was kind, caring, always going out of her way to help anybody who needed it, and she was very motherly to anybody who was upset. So, that's how I wanted her to dedicate her memory in the best way I could; writing. What did you guys think about the ending? It's cool right? I needed to have a new twist on this story and, trust me, there is at least a few more up my sleeves! And I know that this was a long chapter, but everything just kept coming and I still wanted to do more, but I need to save some stuff for later chapters. With that, I hope you guys review this kindly, even if you hated it. **

**1922-2009**

**God Bless!**

**^.^**


	13. A Will To Live

**Hi folks! How are we all doing today? Guess what I've got...don't know? I think I have the H1N1 virus. I have to stay home from school all week. I know that sounds like absolute heaven to some people, but I'm not like most people. I enjoy going to school and I have a writing club to get up and running. Speaking of up and running, I now have a computer in my room so I'll hopefully be updating more often. So, here is chapter...what are we on now, 13? Here's Chapter whatever!**

**Memories**

Erik felt the first rays of morning hit his face and he scrunched his nose in annoyance. He had absolutely no desire to wake up, but then he remembered Christine; her burning with fever, possibly dying of a morphine overdose and some odd plant that he couldn't even remember the name of. Lifting his hand up to rub his eyes, he noticed his body wasn't at all achy, which was different, considering he was sleeping in a hospital bed; noting that before he fell asleep was slightly uncomfortable.

Opening his eyes, Erik bolted upright at the scene before him; he was not in physician's home, but in a room he had never seen before. There were cream colored walls with pictures of roses and vast meadows covering them, a vanity that looked to be covered with...woman products? Looking at the bed, he noticed that the sheets were the deepest crimson he had ever seen and that the bed itself was shaped like a swan. Slowly pushing the sheets away from him, only to find out that he was clad in only his undershirt and trousers, Erik calmly walked over towards the full length mirror-_Wait, when did that get there?_ Looking into the mirror, he didn't notice his reflection, but his angel's reflection from where she lay in the bed.

Turning around to face her, Erik saw her stir and her beautiful brown eyes flutter open.

"Erik? Erik, why are you out of bed so early, my darling?" she asked sleepily. Her chocolate curls fell across her face in the most adoring way, but that wasn't the only thing that caught Erik's attention; it was her stomach. It was sticking out from under the sheets, rounded with child. _When did that happen?! When did ANY of this happen?_ Almost trance-like, Erik walked back over to the swan-shaped bed; he crawled into the bed and hesitantly put his hands on Christine's gorgeous, and not to mention rather large, stomach.

"Masque, are you feeling alright? Do you want me to send for Madame Fournier?" Christine asked him again; her voice full of worry, and was that a hint of sadness he heard? Lifting his head so that his golden eyes could meet hers, he poured out all the questions he'd been dying to ask,

"What are we doing here? Aren't we supposed to be at the physician's home? How did you become...pregnant? How-" he silenced his rambling when he felt Christine's hand making small circles on his stomach. Letting out a groan, he grabbed her hand and kissed it lovingly. Her lovely eyes were full of fear at what he had just told her.

"Erik, what are you talking about? Do you have a fever? Is your wound infected?"

Now it was Erik's turn to look at her strangely. Fever? Wound? What wound? He felt perfectly fine!

"Christine, I don't understand what is going on."

Christine then let out an irritated sigh and got out of the bed, which looked more like she rolled out of it.

"I thought you had regained your memory; at least, that's what the Madame Fournier told me." she whimpered. Erik shook his head at the nurse's name.

"Madame Fournier? What is she doing her? And what do you mean I 'regained my memory'?"

Christine hugged her swollen belly protectively and looked deep into his eyes; almost like she was peering into his soul. Letting out another sigh, she sat back down on the bed and took his large hand in her little one, a tiny smile of patience spread rested on her lips.

"I'm sorry I snapped at you, love. You should remember Madame Fournier; she was the nurse who brought me back to you before I almost joined Papa in heaven, the same woman who is nursing you back to health after the wound you received in the opera house, and the same woman who has agreed to be the midwife, and the Godmother, of our baby."

Erik nodded his head slowly, but still gave her a questioning look. Like she knew exactly what he was thinking, Christine continued on with her explanation,

"The reason why you can't remember very much is because the wound you received got infected and you burned with fever for a long time; it was so long, I lost count of the days, my love. Anyway, when you woke up, you came out of your fever, you couldn't remember anyone or anything, except for me, and the fact that we were going to have a little one running around soon. Slowly but surely you regained your memory, but there is still quite a bit you don't know and I plan on fixing that. Now, time for explanations is over. Your child insisted on kicking me all night long and I didn't sleep a wink so I'm tired. I love you, Erik." she whispered as she tried her best to curl up into his side. Closing his eyes, Erik felt another odd sensation; he felt his body ache a little.

Opening his eyes once more, he noticed he was back in the physician's home; Christine was sleeping somewhat peacefully in the bed next to him. Was it all a dream? Was he losing his mind? Getting out of the bed, just like he had in his dream, he put his hand on Christine's forehead and noticed it was not nearly as warm as it had been before he fell asleep.

Leaning into her ear, Erik whispered softly, "If you can hear me, I love you, Ange. Please, don't leave me yet." and then, a miracle occurred; Christine opened her eyes.

^.^

Adora clung to her cloak as she watched Ralph as he drove the carriage through the French countryside. Memories of what had just happened between her and the Vicomte still played endlessly through her exhausted mind. _The Vicomte would never have done this before. Ever since he saw the Daae girl, he's been acting strange and now he's a rapist. A rapist! Oh God, I hope we can reach, as strange as it sounds, my sister in time. Let nothing happen to her or to the kind masked man who has looked after her for all these years. _

Ralph quickly glanced to look back at his fiancee; she looked so tired and weak. He really had wanted to go up to the Vicomte's room and beat the shit out of the man for what he had done to his Adora, but, Ralph knew that Adora would never forgive him if he ever killed someone. Then, a special memory came to him: the day he and Adora first met...

_Ralph had been 10 at the time and he had just received a job at the De Chagny's massive estate; he was one of the many nameless stable boys. Anyway, one day, when the family was gone and the servants had the day off, he wandered the halls of the estate, wondering why rich people had such tacky taste in things. Even though he had been working for the family for many months, he'd never been inside the mansion, so, having nothing else better to do, he decided he would explore; it wasn't like anyone was waiting for him at home._

_Ralph had run away from his mother when he found out she was pregnant, afraid that he would be rejected when the baby arrived, he had been living out on the street, trying to get jobs from anyone who would hire him, and the last he heard of his mother was that the baby she had was deformed, which she rejected wholeheartedly. When he heard that the De Chagny family was looking for a young boy to hire, Ralph jumped at the offer and immediately got the job._

_While walking down one of the numerous hallways, he heard a soft sob coming from one of the bedroom, Comtesse de Chagny's room to be exact. Quietly opening the door, he found a little girl, no older than 8, was crying on the floor. As he got closer, Ralph noticed that she clutched a photo of a beautiful pregnant woman and a handsome man who looked proud to soon be a father. _

_Reaching out his hand, Ralph gently placed it on the girl's shoulder and she immediately stiffened; as if she was waiting for a beating. Walking around to face her, he noticed that she had blonde hair that was being held tightly in a bun, glistening brown eyes, a small, yet perfect, nose, and slightly tanned skin._

"_I-I'm so...s-s-sorry. I-I...thought nobody...w-was i-in-in the house." she stuttered and tried to sit up, but her apron got caught on something, and it sent her flying back to the ground. With more tears coming out of her eyes, she was frantically asking that he wouldn't tell Comtesse that she had been in here._

"_I'll do anything! I can't loose this job! My Maman, she...she is a p-pros-prostitute and she doesn't make much money."_

_Ralph looked into the frightened brown eyes and smiled softly at her. "I promise I won't tell the Comtesse. Personally, I hate the old witch." he chuckled as he watched the look of horror spread across the girl's face._

"_You shouldn't say such things about the Comtesse! What if there are other servants eavesdropping on us?!"_

"_Don't worry; I've personally gone through every room and there has not been one servant that I have found in this huge place."_

_At those words, the girl began to laugh and cry at the same time. Ralph became concerned that he had done something wrong, but was relieved when she finally calmed down. Ralph decided that the girl seemed friendly enough and sat beside her on the expensive Persian carpet._

"_So, what's your name?" he asked gently. Even though she had calmed down, he was afraid if he said anything, she would burst into tears again._

_Smiling at him, she answered, "Adora. Adora Impinen. What's yours?"_

"_Ralph."_

"_Ralph what?"_

"_I don't know my last name. My Maman never told me her maiden name or her married name because she told me it was too painful after Papa died. At the time, she was pregnant with my sister and or brother so, I ran away."_

_Adora gave him a curious look, but shrugged it off as she wiped her still wet cheeks. Her hands were so tiny! Ralph had never seen hands so small! Reaching over, he picked up on of them and stroked the back of it; they were incredibly smooth, even for her being a maid._

"_Hey, I was thinking, do you want to be friends? I never go home anymore because of what my Maman does and I get really lonely when everyone leaves." Adora asked; breaking the comfortable silence that had fallen between them. Ralph gave her a huge smile and nodded his head vigourously._

"_Of course! I've never really had a friend before."_

_Adora leaped from her spot on the rug and into his lap; laughing and giggling, just like a regular 8 year old should.  
_After that day, the two were inseparable. They did everything together; going into town on their days off, Ralph would go with Adora to Sweden whenever the Vicomte and his family went, pull pranks on the servants, who all believed that the De Chagny estate was haunted, and sneak out when everyone was asleep. Chuckling at one memory when the duo had stolen the Comtesse's jewlery, who nearly killed every servant she suspected, only to return it that night in the exact spot where they had taken it. The Comtesse was so afraid of the estate being haunted, she had a priest come in and bless the house; all the while the he and Adora snickered in stables. Glancing over his shoulder again, he saw his Adora fast asleep; her perfect eyes were closed and soft, even breathing escaped her pale pink lips. _She looks so peaceful, not like a person who had just been raped. I'm so sorry for not protecting you, my love, but I promise I'll make it up to you. We'll make sure that the Daae girl isn't harmed by the Vicomte as you have._

^.^

Christine felt Erik's warm breath against her ear and heard the words she had only dreamed off, _"I love you, Angel. Please, don't leave me yet."_

She had to let Erik know she was going to be alright, but she was in so much pain, it would practically be a lie. It felt as if she were on fire and in a bath of ice at the same time, her stomach hurt so bad it was like someone had hit her with all their force, and her head! She couldn't even begin to describe the pain! But, Erik was there. He was worried that she wouldn't live and live together like they always had, but this time they could be a couple.

Slowly, Christine opened her eyes, wincing at the bright sunlight coming from the window. Blinking her eyes a few times, she finally was able to focus on Erik. He looked so tired, so scared. His mask was off and Christine felt a small smile tug on her lips. It reminded her of when Erik had come home beaten with a giant wound going down the right side of his face, his scarred side, and it had gotten infected....

_Erik had been in a fever induced sleep for 3 weeks; his wound was an angry red color and he sweat profusely, but shivered uncontrollably. Christine never left his side; she even asked the baker she worked for at the time if she could stay home and take care of him._

_At the time, Erik was 22 and she was 12 and she knew very little about medicine and care, but they had no money to afford a docteur, so, all Christine could do was try to keep him cool and stay by his side. It was around 3 AM when she heard cry coming from Erik's bedroom. Racing from her tiny bedroom to his, Christine found Erik tossing and turning; his sheets were wrapped around his slim waist, his uncovered chest was covered with sweat, and tears poured out from his eyes. Walking slowly over to her friend, Christine tenderly took his hand and asked him what was wrong._

"_I want out! Please, let me go! I won't tell anyone about you! Just, please, let me go." he sobbed._

"_Out from where, Masque? Do you want me to leave?" her little voice trembled at his pleas. He sounded as if someone was holding him captive and, whoever it was, would not let him go._

"_No! Christine, please don't leave me! I want them to let me go. Tell them to let me go."_

"_I don't know who you're talking about, Erik. Open your eyes and tell them. I'll be right beside you when you do." she whispered, tears of her own rolled silently down her cheeks. Praying to her Papa and God, she watched as Erik opened his eyes for the first time in weeks. They were full of fear and at the sight of her, relief replaced the fear and an exhausted sigh escaped his lips._

"_Welcome back, mon ami. I was wondering when you'd wake."_

"_Christine? W-What am...I...what ha-happened?" he asked weakly; confusion evident on his face._

"_You've had a fever for a long time. You have only just woken up. This is the first time I've seen your golden eyes in weeks; 3 weeks to be exact." _

"_Th-Them, I'm...sorry, L-Lotte. I've...m-missed....y-..you."_

"_I've missed you, too, Erik!" she sobbed and rested her head on his warm chest. Blindly putting her hand on his forehead, she could tell that his fever had finally broke and he would live! "You're alright. You're alright."_

Once he had woken up, Erik wanted to know everything that had happened while he had been asleep. It only took a couple of days before he started to feel better, but Christine forbade him from getting out of the bed; afraid that if he did too much activity, the fever could come back.

Coming back to reality, Christine felt Erik's hand on her forehead, seeing if her fever had gone down. Looking at Erik's scarred flesh, she never thought he looked so handsome! _Maybe I'm delirious and, if I am, I hope to never come back. _Weakly placing her hand on top of his, Christine whispered to him quietly, "Masque, I'm here."

A small sob escaped his from his lips and propped her body up against the pillows so he could give her some water. Opening her mouth to accept his request, Christine hadn't noticed how thirsty she was until the liquid hit her dry tongue. Drinking the whole glass, she held Erik's hand in her own and watched him watch her. She felt the familiar sensation begin to flair up in her lower abdomen, and no it wasn't the morphine or whatever else was in her system. The past few days, especially when she was sick, the feeling would come whenever Erik brushed against her, touched her, talked to her, sang to her...she loved him. Love? Could she love a murderer? Could she love the same man who had been her best friend for so long that they knew each other inside and out? _Yes you can,_ her mind whispered,_ you can love him! You already know he loves you._

Leaning towards Erik's face, she watched him as confusion, turning to shock, as her lips met his. They were so soft and smooth! His lips tasted of salt and...honey!

Erik couldn't believe what was happening! Christine was kissing him! Him! No the snobby boy, buyt him! He never felt so happy in his whole life. Her lips were small and welcoming; she tasted of roses and vanilla. Running his tongue along the seam of her lips, asking for permission to enter, she opened up to him. They tasted each other and both thought the moment could never be better, until Christine began to unbutton his shirt vest. Breaking the magical moment, Erik removed his lips from Christine's, stepping back from the bed.

Christine felt heartbroken as she watched her love walk from her. _Did I offend him? Did I upset him? Does he really not love me..._Erik's voice broke through her rambling thoughts,

"Not yet, my dear. You're still feverish and I don't want you to regret anything. Plus, you're still very, very weak. I don't want your fever returning with full force." he smiled and stroked her hair lovingly.

"But...but, Erik, I love you. Please, I won't get sick again. Please?" she begged. A look of frustration passed over Erik's face, but soon fell as love seemed to come out of every pore on his body. Lying down beside her, Erik made a trail of kisses from her neck to her chest, just above her breast. Christine let out a breathy moan as she explored Erik's body with her hands. Even with his clothes on, Christine knew Erik was well built, but she never imagined she would feel his muscles like this!

Erik's musical fingers traveled down her side and onto her flat stomach. _Hopefully it shall be rounded out with a child; like me dream._ He thought deliriously as he stopped above her feminine spot. He had never done this before, he never even _dreamed_ of doing this, especially with his innocent Christine, but , here she was; her delicate hands ran up and down his arms. Erik let out a low moan, almost like a growl, and lifted her nightgown up to her stomach. She was so pale, so perfect, so...wet.

Christine gripped Erik's hair as she felt him circling her; her thoughts escaped her head. All she could think of was that they both were wearing too many clothes. Unbuttoning his shirt and throwing it over to where his vest lay, Christine began to kiss every scar that she could find on his chest. She felt his tears chest and she stroked his hair calmingly.

"My poor, poor Masque. I promise no one will hurt you again. I love you so much."

Her reply was a quiet sob as she felt Erik's strong hands covering one of her breasts and the other tracing her face.

Erik had never felt so happy in his life! His angel was here, lying with him, doing the most sacred thing God had created for man and woman. He then froze at the thought. Man and woman. Man and _wife_. They weren't married! Not even engaged! He couldn't do this to her, no matter how much she, or he, wanted it. "Christine, I'm sorry, but we mustn't continue. I will not make you a mistress."

Christine looked up at him with her nearly black eyes, hazy with passion and tears, "I love you though. Damn whatever anyone else thinks. I want you and I'll be a selfish little girl until I get what I want."

"But, we're not engaged. Best friends, yes, but that doesn't count, my Lotte."

"Then do it." she breathed into his deformed ear. Time stood still as Erik tried to register what she just told him. _Do it? Does she mean propose? I couldn't possibly...I love her, but...could she stay tied to a demon like me?_ Taking a deep breath, Erik took both of Christine's tiny hands and trembled with fright.

"Christine Kolina Daae, I've only just realized my growing love for you; not only as a brother or father, but also as a lover. We've been through hell together and we are about to experience heaven together for the first, and hopefully not the last, time. My darling, my Little Lotte, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

**AAAANNNNNDDDDD Cut! That was awesome! I even got stoked writing that! Oh my God! I'm squealing like a little girl over my own story, but I've been dying to have Erik propose to Christine so I have the full right to be thrilled! I'll be updating hopefully later on today, but this cold or flu or whatever is kicking my ass so don't get bummed if you don't see a new update. Lots of love and write plenty of reviews!**

**God Bless!**

**^.^**


	14. Songs of Passion and a House by the Sea

**To all my wonderful reviewers, or should I say reviewer, thank you for the support! Even though you are the only person reviewing, it means a lot. Yeah, see, I'm going to send you all on a friking guilt trip until you review! Anywho, whatever I've got is definitely kicking my ass, but that won't keep me from my absolute favorite thing in the whole wide world: writing! Did I mention I'm a founder of a writing club? Here is Chapter 14 of my fab story! Enjoy!**

**Memories**

Raoul awoke to find himself naked and on the floor. _What happened? How the hell did I get on the floor? All I do remember is....Adora!_ Memories of the previous night flooded his senses, a huge, wicked grin spread across his face as he heard Adora's screams echo throughout his skull.

"What a wonderful night. Ha, I wonder what her scum of a fiance thinks of his whore now?" he wondered as he searched his study for his trousers.

After getting dressed, Raoul decided that he would have fun and have a chat with Ralph, but, he was feeling...a little...dare he think it, whorny. _I think I'll find Adora first, then I'll destroy her precious affair. _

"Adora! Adora, my darling little maid, where are you?" he called playfully, but when he got no reply, he became angry, "Adora! Where the hell are you; you little slut!"

Raoul searched the estate until it was turned upside down, the stables, the fields, even the disgusting servant's quarters. Finding his butler, Raoul nearly killed the man when he said that he had no idea where Adora was.

"You sure as hell better find or you'll find yourself on the streets of Paris, understood?"

"Y-Yes, Monsieur le Vicomte. Right away!" the butler ran as fast as he could to find the other stable boys.

"Please tell me you know where Mademoiselle Adora is. If not, the Vicomte is going to kick me out onto the streets or even worse." the terrified butler asked. The stable boy jumped at the sudden question. He and Ralph had been friends for years and he swore not to tell a soul where he and Adora were going.

"I don't know, Monsieur. I just got back from my break."

"John, please, you have to know something! You've been Ralph's best friend ever since he arrived! He must have told you something!" the butler begged as he shook John by his shirt. He saw the terror on the old man's face and knew he had to tell him something; anything! Just as long as the Vicomte would believe him.

"I'm not going to tell you exactly where they went, but they are somewhere in the surrounding cities of Paris. That is as much as I can tell you without betraying Ralph."

"Thank you! Thank you so much, John! I'll pay you back."

"Don't worry about it. I'm willing to help anyone, but you have to convince the Vicomte that this is where she was planning to go. And whatever you do, don't tell him that Ralph is with her. I can't endanger both of them." John asked. He was already feeling guilty for telling the butler, who would tell the Vicomte, where the two were. All in all, John really tell him where they were going, but the Vicomte was a very smart man, insane, but very intelligent.

Rushing back into the estate the butler told the Vicomte everything that John had told him.

"Thank you. Now, go tell John to prepare me a carriage. I have a mistress to catch up with."

^.^

Erik sat frozen as he watched Christine's smile spread across her bright red cheeks.

"Yes, Erik! Yes!" she laughed and hugged him tightly. He proposed! Her best friend, her teacher, proposed to her! "Oh Erik, I love you. I love you so much."

Erik felt the tears pour out of his eyes, but this time, he was happy they were there. He was going to marry Christine. Christine! She was no longer the little girl he had met 15 years ago in Sweden, she had become a beautiful woman. A beautiful woman who was to be his wife.

"My Angel, I love you! You've....You've made me so...happy!"

"I know, Masque, I know. Just think, we'll be married. We'll...we'll...Erik, I don't feel....oh God, please! Get...Get the...the nurse! Hurry, Erik!" she screamed; gripping her stomach like she had done earlier. The pain was back and it was even worse than what it was before.

Erik jumped up from the bed and raced to find Madame Fournier, but he didn't have to look very hard; she was already rushing down the hallway, a plastic bag full of liquid in her hand.

She looked tired, yet, there was a kind, understanding smile on her face. "I heard her calling. Don't look so scared; she's in good hands. The docteur shall be here in about 10 minutes and then he'll make his decision on what else we should do." she was about to say something else, but another one of Christine's cries ripped through the air.

Scurrying off, Madame Fournier nearly dropped the bag of liquid she was holding; Christine was twisting around on the bed, her fingernails dug into her stomach so hard that it had torn through the thin nightgown and drawing blood.

"My dear, let go of your nightgown so I can give you something for the pain."

"No! No! The only thing that will make me feel better is Erik!" she sobbed and clung even tighter to her clothes. Sighing, Madame Fournier grabbed Christine's right arm and was able to connect the bag of pain medication to the needle.

"There, you'll be much more comfortable now. Do you want me to get Erik?" Madame Fournier asked; stroking Christine's curly brown hair. _She reminds me so much of my own daughter. I wonder how my daughter is doing? Is she still made at me for what I did? Will she ever be able to forgive me?_

Christine felt the drugs spread throughout her slim body, but the pain was still there; dulled, but still there. Nodding her head to confirm that she wanted her fiance to come into the room.

"Erik, you may come in now." Madame Fournier called. He didn't need to be told twice; Erik bolted to Christine's side, holding her slightly trembling hand and asking if she was going to live.

"She will, Erik. You shouldn't worry so much."

"I know, but, I just proposed. I don't want to loose her."

"You proposed?! Oh Erik! I wish you both happiness. She is such a sweet child and you're such a caring young man. I know, with all the terrible and wonderful things you two have gone through, will be perfect for each other." Madame Fournier gushed and hugged Erik. _This is wonderful! I know I've only just met this couple, but I feel as if I've known them my whole life. Strange how life works like that._

"Thank you, Madame,

"Oh please, call me Mignon."

"Mignon, you barely even know us, barely know you, but I want to ask if you would come to our wedding. I know Christine would love if you could."

Another smile spread across her face, but she was interrupted, once again, by a knock at the door. "That must be the docteur. He probably has forgotten his keys again."

Erik nodded and turned his attention back to Christine. She looked so tiny in the hospital bed, the needles were making her delicate hands even more fragile, and her lips were once again horribly pale. _I thought she was finally getting better. Why? Why does she have to suffer? She doesn't deserve any of this._

Christine looked back up at Erik, noticing that he was still shirtless, she let her hand weakly draw patterns on his smooth, slightly hairy, chest. A moan escaped Erik's lips, letting his eyes slid shut at the feeling. Her hands felt so good against him, but he couldn't let himself give into temptation; she could get sick again or the pain would come back.

"No, my darling. I can't see you hurt anymore."

"But Erik, we've already had this conversation. I don't care what else happens. I just want you; I need you." she smiled sweetly at him and captured his lips with hers. Something in the back of Erik's mind was that no good could come from this, but another part told him that he could do this; he just had to be gentle with his Angel.

Grabbing a handful of her curly hair, Erik responded to her kiss with so much passion that he felt Christine's heart flutter in her chest. _Maybe this isn't such a good idea. We should wait until we are married, or at least until she is better. _His thoughts came to a standstill as he felt Christine begin to take off his trousers. "Christine, are you sure? We can wait. I don't want to do this if you don't want to."

"I do, Masque. I love you and I want to make sure no one can take you away from me or me away from you."

"Does this include the boy?" he asked hoarsely as he felt the little hands travel down his chest.

"If I loved Raoul, I would've never have sang my aria for you, agree to go to Sweden with you, or leave with you when you rescued me. Raoul has never had a hold over me and he never will. I love you. Just you."

Erik sighed and captured her lips once more. He realized that he couldn't take off Christine's nightgown. For one, they were in a hospital, what if Ma-Mignon came in and found them both completely naked, and two, the needles or IV's or whatever Mignon called them got in the way and would most likely tangle with the gown. So, the lifted the the piece of clothing up to her stomach, just like he had done before he proposed, he let his fingers trace her area.

Christine gasped and her hands tightened around him. He felt wonderful, like a soft, fuzzy blanket covering a piece of steel. Erik grabbed her hands, not wanting to give out before they had ever really begun. "I'm sorry, love. I-I just can't take it. Not yet. Let me love you" he whispered seductively into her ear. He felt a shiver of pleasure roll through his fiancee, he slowly let his fingers dip into her. It was so warm and inviting, and the deep moan escaping from Christine only made it better.

"Er-Erik! I need...need you! N-now!" she cried as he moved his fingers in and out of her. Erik pressed his scarred cheek against her breasts and kissed each lovingly.

"All for you, mon ange.?"

Christine then remembered a song Erik had been composing for a while now, _Past the Point of No Return_, and began singing the opening,

(_Christine, __**Erik**__, __Both_)

_No thoughts within her head, but thoughts of joy,_

_No dreams within her heart, but dreams of love!_

Erik caught onto the song. He had been writing it so he could release himself, but, apparently, Christine had gotten a hold of the score and memorized it. No song could have been more appropriate for this moment.

_**You have come here in pursuit of your deepest urge,**_

_**In pursuit of that wish which till now has been silent.**_

_**Silent.**_

_**I have brought you that our passions may fuse and merge,**_

_**In your mind you've already succumbed to me,**_

_**Dropped all defenses, completely succumbed to me.**_

_**Now you are here with me, no second thoughts,**_

_**You've decided.**_

_**Decided.**_

_**Past the point of no return,**_

_**No backward glances, our games of make believe are at an end.**_

_**Past all thoughts of **__**if**__** or **__**when**__**? **_

_**No use resisting, abandon thought and let the dream descend.**_

Then with all the passion he could muster in his thin body, Erik kissed his way down Christine's body. She was becoming warmer, but was it from their fiery making or her fever?

Christine never heard anything as beautiful as Erik singing. He already sounded like an angel, but, now that they were side by side, ready to give each other everything, it was seductive, sensuous, and it made Christine feel...a little naughty.

"Erik, don't stop! Sing, please!" she gasped as he kissed her spot. Looking up at her, Erik saw her eyes were once again dark with passion and hazy with drugs; she never looked so beautiful. _Beautiful can't even begin to describe her. Gorgeous, no. Beautiful, no. Why can't the human language come up with a word like perfection, but a hundred times greater?_

"Does my little diva command it?"

"I do. I do, Erik, I do."

Kissing her lips once more, Erik let his voice grow louder, but still quiet enough that it would draw the attention of the docteur and Mignon.

_**What raging fire?**_

_**What rich desire unlocks its door?**_

_**What sweet seduction lies before us?**_

_**Past the point of no return,**_

_**The final threshold, what warm, unspoken secrets will we learn?**_

_**Beyond the point of no return.**_

Christine knew it was her turn to sing, but no words could escape her lips; not with Erik playing with her. "Erik, I-I c..can't sing unless, oh God, un-unless you stop."

"I don't know if I can hold out that long, Ange. I want you." he breathed against her stomach, making it tickle. Removing his hands from her spot, Erik traced his love's face with his still slick hands, waiting for Christine to begin their song of passion.

_You have brought me, through that moment were words run dry,_

_Through that moment when speech disappears into silence._

_Silence._

_I have come here, hardly knowing the reason why,_

_In my my mind I've already imagined our bodies entwining, defenseless, and silent._

_Now I am here with you, no second thoughts, I've decided._

_Decided._

Erik had never heard anything so...enticing! Especially from his sweet, innocent Christine. Her eyes, oh God in heaven her eyes, were two pools of night, her lips were parted and moist, and her cheeks were blushing crimson. "I love you, Christine Daae! I love you!" he growled and claimed one of her breasts with his mouth.

"Its Destler. Christine Destler!" she practically yelled. Her fever was back, she could tell, but nothing was going to separate her and Erik. Not even Madame Fournier.

_Past the point of no return,____no going back now,_

_Our passion play has now, at last begun._

_Past all thought of right or wrong,_

_One final question: how long should we two wait before we're one?_

_When will the blood begin to race?_

_The sleeping bud burst into bloom?_

_When will the flames at last consume us?_

And with that, Erik slipped inside Christine,as if to answer her questions. A whimper of pain escaped her lips, but felt the pleasure slowly caress her body like a blanket; it was pure bliss. Erik tried to be still as possible while his angel recovered from his sudden entrance. Sweat beaded down her forehead, along with a stray tear, which Erik wiped away and place his hand on her forehead. _Its the damn fever again! Please, God, if you truly are real, let us have this one moment joy happen. I love her and I __want to show her how much I love her._

"Christine, are you ready?" he asked through clenched teeth. A quick, but lustful, kiss was his only response. As Erik began moving, Christine couldn't help but finish the song they had already begun.

_Past the point of no return,_

_The final threshold,_

_The bridge is crossed, so stand and watch it burn._

_We've past the point of no return._

The two then fell silent as they started to reach their climax. Christine was the first to go; Erik not far behind as he spread his warmth inside the deepest, darkest parts of her body.

Christine felt hot tears once more on her chest; her fiance was crying, but why? Hadn't they just proven how much they love, and want, each other? Did she do something wrong? She may be a virgin, but she tried her best to be daring for Erik, so, what was wrong?

"Erik, Masque, why are you crying? Did...Did I not please you?" she whispered, thinking that she did not please him was the whole reason.

"No....no, mon belle ange. You've done more than please me. Y-You've made me feel...normal. Human. Loved." he whispered and looked into her eyes. The gold was slowly starting to come back, but the onyx color was still apparent in his eyes, so were the tears.

"You've always been normal in my eyes. Soon, I'll being seeing you more than normal, more than human; I'll be seeing you as my husband. I'm glad that I was able to do this one thing for you because now, you have a part of me that no one else can take away from you. And who knows, maybe we'll get lucky. Maybe we'll have a little boy or girl." she giggled as she watched a watery smile cross Erik's face; it was a smile filled with love, one that had just wiped away all the sorrow he had felt during his childhood. Speaking of his childhood, Christine had to ask Erik about the...murders. But before she could say anything, Erik's heavenly voice filled the room

_**I will no longer talk of darkness,**_

_**I'll forget my wide eyed fears,**_

_**You're here, nothing can harm me,**_

_**Your words will warm and calm me.**_

_**Will you be my freedom?**_

_**Will your daylight dry my tears?**_

_**You're here, with me, beside me.**_

_**To guard me and to guide me.**_

Christine nearly sobbed at the pleading tone he was using; as if what they had just shared was not enough to keep her from running to Raoul as soon as she was well. She had to reply! She had to give him her promise of love, daylight, and something so precious she couldn't even put it into words.

_You know I love you every waking moment,_

_I'll turn your head with talk of summertime._

_I know you need me with you now and always._

_I promise that all I say is true._

_Believe me, that's all I ask of you._

Erik closed his eyes at her tender promise. He could feel her becoming warmer, but, something was telling him that if he left now, she would be even worse if he stayed.

_**Will you be my shelter?**_

_**Will you be my light?**_

_**I feel safe, no one can harm me,**_

_**As long as you're beside me.**_

_All you need is freedom,_

_A world with no more night._

_With me, always beside you, _

_To hold you and to love you._

Christine smiled and kissed every inch of his bumpy, scarred flesh; tasting the salt and sweat on his skin. His voice was stunning, sad, soft, and lonely, but stunning. "I promise, Angel, I'll take away all the loneliness that you felt as a boy and your time with me."

"I was never lonely with you. I wished for Signor Giovanni and Herr Daae, but never lonely."

"I beg to differ." she whispered and hugged him gently.

_**Then say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime,**_

_**Lead me from this solitude.**_

_**Say you want to me here, beside you.**_

_**Anywhere you go, please, let me go too.**_

_**Ange, that's all I ask of you.**_

_You know I'll share with you one love, one lifetime,_

_If I say the word, you may follow me._

_We'll share each day, each night, each morning._

_**Say you love me**_

_You know I do._

_We'll love, like no others have before._

The two lover's leaned into each other for the hundredth time that night and with it, the single most tender, loving kiss was displayed. Erik felt all the love he had kept bottled up for the past few years release along with all his pain, his sadness. "I love you, Christine."

"I know."

_Anywhere you go, let me go too._

_We'll love, like no others have before._

Mignon stood in the doorway, a hand clamped over her mouth to keep from crying out. She had not seen the whole display of the couple's affection, but she saw enough. When she went to answer the door, it did turn out to be the docteur. After he left for his office, Mignon heard the sound she was positive only belonged to God's angels. As she rounded the corner, she noticed that the song was one of passion, seduction. Peering inside to see what was going on, the nurse nearly had a heart attack! She felt as if she were intruding, which she was, so, she decided to busy herself with something else until the two were done.

But now, as they held each other, Christine obviously displaying signs of fever, looked peaceful. As much as she didn't want to, Mignon knew she would have to interrupt them in order for the docteur to look at Christine.

The Madame never thought a person's life could be like that. Erik seemed like a nice man, deformed, but nice. She was sure that he would've gone crazy or done something drastic; it sent shivers down her spine just thinking about the possibilities.

Christine sighed happily as Erik clung to her like a lifeline. He was so drained from last night and this morning; he should rest.

"Masque, you should rest. I'll be fine as soon as the docteur sees me." she cooed softly. Erik shook his head slowly and continued to lie there. He felt as if he let go of her, he would ultimately loose her.

"I don't want to move from the bed. Let me stay here for awhile." his words slurred with sleep.

Giggling, Christine gave up and kissed his thick black hair.

"You may. Sleep well, mon ami."

"Mon ami." he sighed, letting his dreams take him wherever he wanted to go.

Letting out a yawn of her own, Christine let her eyes slide shut; her hand slowly ran her hand up and down his back until her own dreams decided to take her away.

^.^

"Ralph, dear, are we there?" Adora asked sleepily as she felt the carriage stop. So far, they've tried 3 different physicians, gone to numerous parts of the city, and with every minute they were away from her sister, the Vicomte could be getting closer.

"We are. Hopefully, this is the one." he let out a deep breath and helped his tired love out of the carriage. He had been driving the carriage since first light and it had been hours since then. Frankly, he just wanted a bed to sleep in; the carriage was very uncomfortable, especially when Adora refused to be held, probably still terrified of men.

But, didn't she let him comfort her last night? _She is definitely strange, but, I guess that's why I fell in love with her._

Adora could tell what Ralph was thinking wondered why she let him hold her after she had been raped, but not when they decided to stop for the night. _I'm so sorry, Ralph, but every time I felt your gentle arms around me, all I could think of was the Vicomte. I know it's strange; I know I'm strange. I guess that's why you fell in love with me._

The memory of when Ralph proposed to her popped into her mind. It was such a magical day...

_The servants had the day off, seeing as how the De Chagny family were going to their estate in the southern part of the country, so, Ralph and Adora decided to go to the ocean. The two had been secretly courting for a year, at least the De Chagny family didn't know about it, the servants on the other hand..._

_Anyway, they had packed a picnic and Ralph was able to "borrow" a carriage in order to take them out. The sky was crystal blue, the meadows and fields they passed were green and full of flowers or crops, and nothing was more soothing than the sound of the horses hooves pounding on the dirt road. Adora had worn her best dress, which was a pale green with white lace around the neck and hem, and decided to leave her hair down. Ralph wore what he usually wore, a loose, white shirt and a pair of everyday trousers and, honestly, he couldn't look more handsome!_

_After the long trip out, Adora's face stretched into a beautiful smile as the ocean came into view. It was marvelous! It was so lovely and the smell of the salty air made her want to cry, for it reminded her of her childhood in Finland._

"_My dear, can you stay here just for a few moments? I need to prepare something and I don't want you spoiling it." he smiled and ran off towards the beach. 'What is going through that boy's mind?' she thought, but, within a few minutes, Ralph was back to take her to the beach._

"_Are you ready, Mademoiselle?" _

"_Oh Ralph, you've really outdone yourself today!" she giggled._

"_You haven't even seen the best part of it yet." he replied and took her tan and rough hand into his. There was more? Following Ralph onto the beach, she nearly died when she saw what he had done just for her: there, right on the sand, was a purple silk blanket with a wicker basket sitting right in between two white candles, lit and fluttering, and a violin sat in its case; it used to be one of her father's._

"_Oh God, Ralph! I love you so much!" she squealed and ran over to the picnic area. Inside the basket was fresh fruit, cheese, a small bottle of wine, and bread. It wasn't much, but to Adora, nothing could be more perfect. Looking closer at the violin, there were a bouquet of red and yellow tulips, her favorite flower, tied together with a white ribbon. "It's so perfect. My love, you're perfect." _

_Ralph blushed a deep hue of red, pulling her into a loving embrace. "My Adora, how wonderfully accurate your name is, let us eat and then I have another surprise for you." he whispered in her ear._

"_More surprises?! Ralph, you're going to spoil me." _

"_But I want to spoil you! I enjoy doing it! Do you know how much fun I had putting this all together? With a little bit of the other servant's help, and taking liberties with the De Chagny wine cellars, I was able to this just for you because you are worth it." kissing her softly on the cheek. _

_Sitting down in a daze, Adora ate calmly, but inside, she was buzzing with excitement! What was the surprise? Was he going to... 'Dont' be ridiculous! You two are still courting!' she kicked herself mentally._

_'Maybe I should ask him? Would he mind?'_

_Turning over to face Ralph, her breath was taken away at what she saw; his black hair shined in the setting sun, tan skin growing darker and darker, and his blue eyes, were as blue as the ocean before them. He was so handsome, how could he fall in love with her? She wasn't at all pretty! Her blonde, straight hair was so bland, her brown eyes, again, were very common, and her hands were so rough that they might have been rubbed with sandpaper._

_Ralph's eyes glittered with mischief as he watched her with her mouth hanging open. Quickly remembering her mouth, Adora immediately shut it, but when she finally decided to ask him something, Ralph spoke first, _

"_Adora, will you follow me? There is a spot that I used to visit as a boy, before Mother became pregnant."_

_Nodding her head stupidly, Adora got to her feet, one hand in Ralph's and the other carrying the violin. 'Why did he bring this? Better yet, how did he find it? I had it hidden under my bed...'_

_It was several minutes before they reached the destination Ralph was leading her to and it almost made her faint; they were on a remote part of the beach, but standing off to the right, there was a small house, a little weather beaten, but quaint and quite lovely. The windows were stained purple, green, yellow, orange, and red, the door had carvings of tulips and musical notes, and there was a sign above the door, __Hankkia asunto model after Aallokko__. _

"_Did you fix this up yourself?" she asked, spinning around to face him. _

"_I did. Whenever Mother would get mad a me, I would run away to this very house; it was in better shape when I was a child, but with a some more work, it'll be done. Would you like to look inside?" his proud smile beamed on his face. Giggling in response, Adora was so happy she could barely stop herself from jumping up and down like a schoolgirl. _

_Once Ralph opened the door, it revealed a small living room with a sofa, table, two end tables, a huge fireplace, which took up most of the right wall, several painted pictures of flowers, mainly tulips, and a bed, big enough for two, sat in the corner underneath one of the windows. The colors played all over the quilt and made the wooden floor glisten._

"_It's so beautiful. How did you know I always wanted a house by the sea?" Adora asked, tears of happiness coming out of her eyes. This day had been so perfect! Nothing could possibly make it any better._

"_You talk in your sleep quite a bit." Ralph laughed as he received a playful swat from his love. _

_Adora began to walk into her new home, she was stopped as she felt Ralph's hand on her arm._

"_What is wrong? Aren't I allowed inside the home you fixed up for me?"_

"_You are, but there is something I need to ask you." he answered nervously. That was definitely new! Ralph was never nervous, even when it came to things he never tried. Glancing at his face, her next breath caught in her throat as he knelt down on one knee._

"_Adora, I've loved you for so long now, longer than our year of courting, and I think that has been a year too long. I want to live in this house with you, to have children and grow old with you. Will you do that with me? Will you be my wife?" he proposed and held up a shining silver ring, which was adorned by a small, but gorgeous, diamond. "I know its not much and I'll never be a rich man, but-" he was cut off as she locked her lips with his. _

_He proposed! He proposed! Oh, she had to give him an answer! She couldn't leave the poor man hanging._

"_I don't care if we have to live in a box; as long as you're with me, I'll do anything."_

"_So, does that mean yes?"_

"_Yes! Of course Ralph! I love you too." she smiled, more tears streaming down her face. _

_Ralph's smile widened even further as he placed the ring on her appropriate finger and swept her up bridal style; carrying her into their house and their new life._

That had been 4 months ago and what a blissful 4 months it was.

But now that the Vicomte had raped her, it all seemed to be going downhill from there. How did she know if Ralph still loved her? How did she know he believed her? _I guess I'll just have to trust him._

Walking up to the door, Adora knocked and waited; praying to God that this was the right place. Hearing movement behind the door, Adora let a out a scream at who answered it.

"Mother!"

"Adora!" the petite nurse responded and flung her arms around her.

Mignon couldn't believe her eyes! Her daughter was here! The daughter she thought she lost 20 years ago was standing before her, and a young man who looked oddly familiar, stood beside her. _Why do I feel like I've seen this boy before?_

Adora was shocked at the sight of her mother, but she was also relieved; she could finally talk to the woman she had been dying to see for such a long time.

Ralph stood there, shock apparent on his face. The nurse looked familiar...she looked almost like his mother, but she had died a long time ago, back when he was 15, he was 33 now. Why did she look so familiar? Was she a close friend of his mother's? Was she a lady he used to work for? Then, he remembered his aunt who had visited the family several times. They had the same grey eyes, jet black hair, petite frame....

"Aunt Mignon?"

**And we're done! Told you there was going to be a twist! But you shall not know the answer until I update sometime this weekend! *Insert Evil Laugh Here* Anyway, you people know the drill, review and you'll make Erik very happy; not to mention you'll make me very happy which is even better than Erik...okay maybe not, but still, review.**

**God Bless! **

**^.^**


	15. Healing

**Here it is, the moment you all have been patiently waiting for...Memories! I know I keep putting off this story with several others, but I have finally found my inspiration! Took me long enough. Plus, school has been crazy, semester finals are coming up, I have auditions to perform, and the list goes on and on. So, enough of my yackin, and let's get to chapter...see it's been so long that I can't remember what chapter we're on! Chapter 15! That's what we're on! Okay, now that we've gotten that all taken care of, enjoy the long awaited chapter.**

**Memories**

Mignon stared at the young man in front of her; did he just call her aunt? He couldn't possibly have! She had never seen him before in her life! Though, he bore a strange resemblance to Erik...they had the same black hair, cheekbones, the same build...

"Did you ever know a woman by the name of Madeline?" Mignon asked, but before the young man in front of her could answer, Adora interrupted,

"Mother, I'm sorry to interrupt, but do you happen to have a girl here by the name of Christine Daae?" she asked; if she wasn't here, Adora didn't know what she would do! They had checked everywhere, this place was their last hope.

"There is, but she is incredibly ill right now; you can't see her yet." she told her distressed daughter. Truth be told, neither Christine or Erik had woken up since their...moment from the night before. The two deserved their privacy.

"But, Mother, this is extremely important! The V-Vicomte...he's coming." Adora shuddered at even mentioning the man. Her body still ached from what had happened, but she had to forget about it. She had Ralph and that was all that mattered; the Vicomte could die in a hole for what he had done to her!

"For what?" Mignon was confused. Why was her daughter here? Why was this young man claiming to be her nephew? And what did Mademoiselle Christine have to do with any of this?

"He's coming for Christine! Mother, the bastard...he-he raped me. I'm frightened that he may be coming for her and doing the same. Mother, she's my sister! We share the same father. Please, let me see her." Adora begged. Why wouldn't her mother let her in? Couldn't she tell that this was eating her from the inside out? Grasping Ralph's hand tightly, she looked into his confused sky blue eyes; was he really her cousin? And, if they were, would he still want to marry her? Feeling useless tears welling up at the thought of her Ralph denying her, she swiped them away and looked back at her mother. She looked exactly how Adora remembered, except that her hair was now black instead of blonde. Pushing the question out of her mind, she looked back into her mother's eyes and found tears in those gentle grey eyes.

"Y-You were rapped?" Mignon stuttered; her daughter was rapped? The Vicomte had finally gone too far. "Get inside, quickly." she told them and rushed them inside. Shutting the door, Mignon led the two into the kitchen, trying to think how she could stall them so she could wake up Erik and let him get dressed. "Adora, Ralph, I must check on Mademoiselle Daae before you can see her. Please, make yourself at home and then you can see her. And once you're finished talking, I'd like to have a word with both of you."

Disappearing behind a door, a few tears escaped Mignon's grey eyes. Her daughter was back! She thought that she would never get to see her again, especially after she had treated her...

_Mignon walked through the door, a sigh escaping her red lipstick lips; it had been a hard day. She was nearly killed by a man who refused to leave after he was 'finished'. She had begged for the man to leave, telling him that she had her little girl to take care of, that she couldn't possibly leave her behind. Finally, the lady who owned the brothel rushed in and found the man and kicked him out, telling him that if he ever came by again, he would be 6 feet under the brothel._

_Though the mistress had asked if Mignon was alright, she knew better than to accept the fake kindness. All that greedy woman cared about was that her girls were still alive and making her money. Why had her life taken a turn like this? She, her husband, an, at the time, their unborn daughter were happy. They lived in a beautiful home beside the sea in Finland. Her husband showing her how much he loved her, even with her swollen body. And then, he was gone. He had died on a voyage to France._

_But the past was the past; she had to concentrate on her daughter. Looking around the room, Mignon saw that, as usual, it was a mess. Where was her daughter? Didn't she tell her before she had left to pick up the house, or shack, or whatever you wished to call a one room building._

"_Maman!" a little voice exclaimed coming from the bed int the corner. A blonde head popped out of the thin, dirty blankets, Adora's dust covered face looked frightened. Usually Mignon would bring men back with her and she would have Adora turn the other way, but it never really worked._

"_Don't give me that look, Adora. There's no one here tonight, besides you and me." she snapped and sat on the only chair._

"_And Papa?" Adora whispered hesitantly. Mignon's head shot up at that. Before she had gotten into this...business, she would tell her child stories of her papa and how he was always with them, no matter how bad life got. But now, it was almost forbidden to even mention him!_

"_How dare you! Go to sleep right this instant!" Mignon shouted, not caring a bit that her daughter flinched at her tone of voice._

"_I'm sorry, Maman. I won't say it again." Adora whimpered, hugging the blanket close to her skeletal body. Why was her maman being so mean to her? She always did everything that she said._

"_And why isn't this place cleaned up yet?! I thought I told you this morning that I wanted it clean just in case I had someone with me tonight!"_

"_I'm sorry, Maman, I'm sorry." she whimpered, tears slipping from her innocent brown eyes. She didn't have time to clean! She had only gotten home from her job a just seconds before he maman had. But she always tried her best to please her; she cooked, cleaned, shopped, everything! Digging underneath the blanket, Adora found her papa's old violin. It was wrapped in a clean sheet and it resembled a pillow. If her maman had ever found out about the violin...Adora didn't know what she was going to do!_

"_Sorry isn't good enough, Adora!" Mignon raged on. Why can't she just do something useful for once in her life?_

"_I hate you, Maman!" Adora finally shrieked, "I'm sorry that I couldn't clean the room today, I'm sorry that I don't have dinner ready tonight, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I'm sorry I can't be the child you want me to be. When we first moved here, you used to love me! I used to love you! But now, I hate you! I swear, Maman, I'm going to run away and never come back!"_

_Mignon stared at the little 7 year-old in front of her; where did she come from? "I'm the one who should be apologizing. I didn't mean to snap at you, my darling." _

"_No! It's too late, Maman." Adora replied darkly, covering the blanket over her blonde hair; crying silently so her Maman couldn't hear._

And when she had come home that night, Adora was gone. A little note was left on her tiny bed. It read that she was going to go find a new maman and a new papa who could love her and play with her. Mignon still had the note, hoping that one day she could find her child and ask for forgiveness.

Shaking herself of the feeling, she peeked inside Christine's room, smiling at what she saw; both were fast asleep, Erik's arm was wrapped lovingly around her waist, Christine's head lay on his shoulder, her curly brown hair fanned across Erik's chest. Walking as quietly over towards the bed, Mignon took Christine's temperature; it was just a few degrees above normal. Looking at the IV bags, she noticed that one of needed to be changed. Silently, she disconnected the bag from the line and walked back into the kitchen.

"Can we go in now, Madame?" Ralph asked patiently, noticing how his finacee tensed when the nurse had walked in. Despite the fact that his mind was telling him to bring up the subject of his aunt again, he kept silent. Mignon turned around to answer the young man's question, but remembered why she had come into the kitchen in the first place. Throwing the old bag in the trash, she walked to the cabinet and pulled out a new one.

"Follow me, but please be quiet, they are still asleep." she instructed and led the couple into the room. Upon entering the room, Adora blushed furiously as she gazed at her sister, a thousand things running through her mind as her eyes drifted towards the man's chest. Lifting her eyes up, she found them clashing with his deformed cheek. Her sister was sleeping with...that?

Ralph felt his heart going a million miles per hour as he looked at the man on the bed; it had to be him. It had to be his younger brother. They both had the same cheekbones, hair, lips...and he had a deformed cheek, just like how all the neighbors described him.

"Madame, may I speak to you in the kitchen for a moment?" he whispered, being mindful of the sleeping pair. Nodding, Mignon followed the man into a separate room. Turning around to face her, he saw understanding in her grey eyes. Did she know what he wanted to talk to her about?

"If this is about me beign your aunt, Monsieur,"

"Ralph,"

"Monsieur Ralph, then you are quite mistaken."

"But, Madame, you even asked me at the door if I had ever known a woman named Madeline and I have! She was my mother! And that man in there is my brother." Ralph insisted. Surely this woman would remember! "I remember you, Madame. I remember you coming over to mother's house all the time when I was younger. I remember when Mother became pregnant with my brother. Then when Father had died, you practically lived at our home!"

"I remember, but, I'm not your biological aunt. I was your mother's best friend as girls. I then moved to Finland, but I visited France as often as possible. When Charles, your father, died while he was at work, I was pregnant with Adora and that was the day I found out Madeline was pregnant with your sibling. When we told you, your little face was so heartbroken, you practically begged Madeline to not be pregnant. You ran away about a week later; we searched high and low for you, Ralph! Then, when Madeline had Erik, she rejected him with her whole heart. She pleaded with God every night that you may come back and help her with him, but you never did." Mignon explained, tears rolling down her cheeks. Ralph had practically been her nephew since the day he was born, so when he ran away, it tore her up inside.

"Erik is my brother then?" Ralph asked quietly, not wanting to upset the nurse anymore than he already had.

"He is."

"Is Adora really your daughter?"

"She is. Please, Ralph, please tell me that she wasn't raped." Mignon whispered softly. It had to have been some joke or diversion so she could talk to Christine.

"It isn't. I'm so sorry. I thought she was lying at first, trying to get my attention like she always did, but then I saw the scars on her back, the blood on her clothes, I knew then and there she wasn't kidding. She told me that the Vicomte had asked her a favor and when she agreed without even asking, the bastard pushed her onto a table, a glass broke and dug into her skin. She refused to tell me anything after that. She is still afraid of my touch, as if I was the one who had raped her and not that madman." Ralph spat bitterly. Just thinking of the Vicomte made his blood boil. "Is Adora really related to Christine?" he asked, needing to change the subject in order to calm down.

"I don't know. Adora lost her father back when she was too small to remember and I never had anymore children. There is a chance that he lived, but lost his memory or something. I'm sure we can ask her as soon as she wakes up. Now, I'm sure you and Adora are very tired. Let me prepare you a room upstairs and I'll let you know when Christine is awake."

"And if the Vicomte comes around?"

"Don't worry about him. If he comes around, I'm sure Erik will take care of him" Mignon smiled slightly.

"Just let me know, too. My little brother can't possibly have all of the fun." Ralph laughed, pulling his aunt into a hug. It was a bit disappointing to find out that she wasn't his real aunt, but he would always treat her as such. "Thank you for everything, Aunt Mignon."

"I'm not your real aunt." she teased and squeezed him back. Maybe now she can talk to Adora before they went to bed. Walking back into Christine's room, Mignon chuckled a little when they found her curled up in the chair by the window. She looked as pretty as she remembered; her blonde hair, delicate cheeks, petite body, her father's brown eyes. Now that she thought about it, Mignon began to find more and more similarities between her and Christine; same facial features, eyes, and body. They could have practically been twins if only their hair matched.

Ralph sighed happily as he scooped his love into arms, sweetly kissing her cheek. Stirring under his gaze, Adora opened her tired brown eyes to stare into his perfect blue ones. Smilingly sweetly, she drifted back to sleep, completely forgetting where she was or what had happened; she was in the arms of her Ralph and not even the disgusting man who had raped her could take that away.

"Just rest, love. I promise nothing will ever harm you again." Ralph cooed softly into Adora's ear, cradling in her in his arms as he followed Mignon upstairs. It was odd to see a docteur's office in an old home, but it made him, and probably many patients, more comfortable with it like this. He never did like the docteur's, so being in a house that was supposed to be his office, was comforting.

"Here is your room. Just holler for me if you need anything; I'll be getting ready for the day." Mignon said, opening the door to a simple, but pleasant room.

"Thank you again, Aunt; I'm sure Adora would thank you too if she wasn't asleep."

"I doubt it. She was always such a stubborn girl." she replied and left the two people who were most near and dear to her heart get some rest. Rest. That actually didn't sound like such a bad idea.

^.^

Sunlight trickled in through the curtains, gently shining on Christine's face. Turning over so she could get out of the sun's way, she bolted upright when she felt a soft body underneath her. Who was there with her? Who was sleeping in the bed with her? Opening her eyes completely brown clashed with gold as Erik looked sleepily at her.

"Is something wrong, mon ange de la musique?" he asked lazily, stroking her chocolate brown curls soothingly. He had felt her tense up when she had woken up and he had to keep her calm; she couldn't end up getting another fever. "Do you want me to get out?"

Shaking her head, Christine smiled as memories of the previous night came back to her; Erik proposing, her acceptance, their bodies molding into one...Feeling and embarrassing blush rise into her cheeks, Christine nuzzled her face deeper into Erik's shoulder. "No, I want my Erik to be close."

"And your Erik wishes also to stay close. How are you feeling? You had a slight fever from...last night." Erik asked, an equally bright red creeping up into his own cheeks. He had been so happy from her answer and their moment, that he forgot to get Mignon after they were done.

"Much better. I do hope we can go home soon, though. I miss our cozy flat."she sighed. Closing her eyes once again, images flashed through her mind of the small flat; her room with her silky sheeted bed, the upright piano sitting in the living room, the couch sitting in front of the coffee table...photos sitting on the coffee table. Her conversation with Raoul suddenly popped into her mind; she had to ask him here and now. It wasn't like he was going anywhere and if things got too out of hand, she would just apologize and drop the subject.

"Erik, I need to ask you something." she whispered, her voice choking slightly.

"What is it, my darling? Are you in pain?" he asked worriedly; fear and sadness covered her pretty face like an ugly cloud. What could possibly make her so upset?

"On the anniversary of my papa's death, R-Raoul had come to visit. I thought it was innocent enough; he was just being friendly and checking up on me. Well, he pulled out several documents...they were all of you. Erik, did you...k-kill people...when you were younger?" Christine's voice dwindled as she watched Erik's face go from heart wrenching sorrow, to confusion, and finally to anger.

"That...that was a long time ago, Christine." Erik growled. This was just another thing to add onto his list of reasons to kill the Vicomte. How had that fop gotten his hands on such documents? Surely the police wouldn't have given it to him willingly.

"But Erik, please, tell me why you killed those men." Christine begged, rubbing his chest in a comforting circles. This was a topic he obviously didn't want to talk about, but they _needed_ to talk about. They had to work this out. "No more secrets, my love."

"I'm afraid that you won't be using such words of endearment after what I tell you." Erik sighed and turned his deformed cheek away from Christine. He had wanted to pour out all of his secrets to her when he felt like was ready, but she seemed to want to talk about them now. Why now? What if Mignon or someone else was eavesdropping?

Giving an impatient noise, Christine gently placed her hand on her love's deformed cheek, the cheek that she had so adored since she was young, and turned his face back towards her. "I will love you always. I don't care what your past is. I love you, Erik." she murmured softly into his chest. She felt Erik's shaking fingers untangling her curls; he was probably trying to calm himself.

Taking a deep breath, Erik began, "You remember my 20th birthday, right?"

"The one where I made you the picnic and swam at the lake?"

"Yes, that one. Remember asking about the scars that cover my body? Well, the story behind those scars is that, when I was younger, around 5years-old, I ran away from home. You see, my home wasn't exactly wonderful. My mother, Madeline, hated me with all her being; she had locked me up in my room, which only consisted of a bed, table, and a single chair. If I even wanted to be in the same room as my mother, I had to wear a crude mask made out of itchy wool that used to be one of her dresses. But even then she would shun me.

So, when my 5th birthday came around, her only friend, I can't remember her name, suggested that I had a real birthday. Grudgingly, my mother agreed and put together a small party that consisted of me, her, and her friend, but things went wrong as soon as I came down to dinner. I didn't wear my mask that evening; I was hoping that no one would notice, since I had never even since my face until that night and I had always thought that maybe I reminded my mother of someone she remembered or something along the lines of that. The mask had become too small for me, but my mother didn't care; she dragged me into the living room and showed me my face. I was absolutely terrified, Christine! I didn't believe at what I was seeing. I thought that it was a monster looking at me. When she told me that the face in the mirror was my reflection, I snapped. My only thoughts were that if my mother couldn't love me, then what's the point of even being here? So, I packed up a small bag and left." Erik paused, noticing the tears that rolled quietly down his angel's cheeks.

"That's...your...oh Erik! What a horrid person your mother was! How dare she treat you in such a way?" Christine sobbed. That woman must have had a heart of stone to reject someone as helpless as her own 5 year-old child.

"Don't cry, Christine," Erik smiled, tears of his own clouded his eyes as he remembered his mother's cruelty; the shunning, the beatings, the endless nights where he would cry and beg for his mother to show him comfort and love. "After I ran away, I didn't really know what to do; I was a 5 year-old child who had never seen the outside world. I ended up stumbling upon a Gypsy camp. I was hungry and desperate and the Gypsies offered me food and shelter, but they had only one condition: that I had to keep my mask off. I was scared stiff at their condition, but I agreed anyway. With one look at my face, they threw me into a cage, my mask had been taken away from me.

I stayed in that cage for 1yearas a freak show attraction. My master, Javert, was a cruel man who made my mother look like a saint; he beat me everyday, fed me very little, and the cage he kept me wasn't even fit for an animal. One day, after I tried to escape, he nearly raped me, Christine. I...I was still a small child and I didn't know what to do! I saw the dagger that always hung by his belt and, I stabbed him with it. Along with several other men had entered the tent when Javert screamed. I was so frightened, Christine." Erik cried softly into her hair.

"It's alright, my darling. Oh Erik, I had no idea...I'm so sorry." Christine choked out, tears of her own slowly trickled out of her brown eyes. His childhood was awful! But, what happened during the gap between when he left the freak show and when he became an apprentice to Signor Giovanni? But that was a question for later; she had finally gotten the information that she wanted and she felt at peace. Hopefully Erik felt the same way too. "Thank you for telling me all of this. You have gone through too much in your life."

"Do you still love me?" Erik asked hesitantly, terrified that she would reject him after everything he told her. Looking into her beautiful eyes, he saw nothing but love and adoration in those watery orbs. Could she possibly still love him?

"I do, mon ami. I love you with all my heart. And once I'm out of here, we'll get married." Christine smiled radiantly, kissing her lover's shoulder.

Who knew life could have been so perfect? Erik never imagined that he would get this beautiful women, that she would agree to be his wife, that she had given him something that was so precious and wonderful that he couldn't even put it into words. Yes, he had loved Christine ever since he had seen her as a small child in Sweden, but that was the fatherly love that he had been so used to. This was different; it was special. It was a love that even Raoul de Chagny couldn't even destroy.

Stroking Christine's curls again, Erik felt his eyes drifting close when he heard the front door open and slam shut. That was definitely odd, but, this was a hospital after all and things like this must happen all the time. Looking down at his fiancee, he saw that her eyes were closed and her breathing had evened out. Kissing her dainty nose, he raised his golden eyes and saw someone standing at the foot of the bed that made his blood run cold.

Raoul de Changy.

**IT'S DONE! At least this chapter is done. Sorry about some of the words combining together. My computer is kinda retarded and it needs some help. I hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving and remember, review! I'm so tired...I hate school. Thank you and hope to see some of those reviews! Goodnight!**

**^.^**


	16. The Plan

**Hi everyone! I'm here again and I'm updating for ****Memories****. I don't care anymore if you don't review, even though I really do appreciate it, but I just want to write this story and get it over with. It's not going to drag on much longer so if you've become bored with this or want to finish reading it through until the end, here's your chance! I'm so happy! I have a day off cause it's snowing! Go snow! I'm actually sick of it and I want the sun back…but I can't complain too much. I hope you all enjoy the last few chapters of this story and…yeah! **

**And RobinxStarfire101, Erik would happily accompany you on taking me down! I upset him the other day and he's looking for someone to help in with his revenge.**

**Memories**

Erik sat perfectly still on the uncomfortable bed, staring directly into the Vicomte's angry eyes. How did he find them? Did Adora or Ralph lead him here? Did Mignon? No, they wouldn't do something like that, but it wasn't just coincidence that brought the fop here.

"Well, look at what we have here; a monster and a whore. I thought for sure that my darling Christine would have left you by now, but I guess I was wrong. Oh well, just one more thing to add on my To Do list." Raoul sighed, feeling the anger escalate in his body as he heard Christine mutter the thing's name.

"Erik…it's noisy." Christine whimpered, curling up closer to the warm body next to her. She could hear a familiar voice speaking to the two of them, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it…

"Don't worry, mon ange, I'll make sure everything is quiet." Erik smiled, tucking a strand of curly hair behind her ear. Her fever was gone, thank God, but he couldn't celebrate; not with that boy standing in front of them.

Raoul couldn't believe what was happening! He was supposed to be marrying the woman who was lying in the arms of a monster in less than two months! _I can't think about that right now…I just have to figure out a way to get her to come back to me without out the freak interfering…_ "I'll tell you what, monster; let Christine come with me, let us get married, and you can be our very own personal freak show."

"Don't say that…" Christine looked up from her love's shoulder, furious to see Raoul standing at the foot of the bed. What on Earth was he doing here? "I'll never marry you, De Chagny. And just to let you know, I'm engaged!"

Throwing his blonde head back, Raoul laughed manically; his boyish face twisted with madness. "I'm afraid that is insignificant, my dear," he sneered after he had calmed down, "We're already engaged. We have been ever since we were young."

Christine wanted to ripe out Raoul's tongue for saying such things! They couldn't possibly be engaged! Her papa had always been against arranged marriages! "Y-You're lying, Raoul! Papa would never do such a thing!"

"I'm afraid he did, my darling. You see, when my father first met you father, he was nothing more than a beggar; an unwanted cockroach who had crawled up to our manor door. You father claimed that he had a dying wife and a little girl at home and he would do anything if he could have some food and wood for fire. My father, the great and caring man that he was, agreed to help the pathetic violinist under one condition: his little girl would have to marry me, who was barely two years-old at the time. He foolishly said yes, but he obviously forgot all about it. That or he just never wanted to tell you and break your godlike view of him."

She couldn't believe what she was hearing; her papa would never do this…he would never in a million years do something like this to her…he loved her, didn't he? But if he loved her, he would have let her choose her own love, but that obviously wasn't the case…

"If you remember, Vicomte, Herr Daae has passed away," Erik growled, hating that Christine flinched at the mention of her father's death, "so the engagement is off."

"One of the promises Herr Daae made was that no matter what happened to him, Christine would become mine," Raoul laughed, "and I think that there is something that I must inform my future wife with, freak."

Suddenly, there was a loud banging sound and hurried footsteps coming down the stairs. Before the trio could blink, Ralph was standing in the doorway; pure rage was etched onto his face. So this was the man who raped his Adora…well, the fop wasn't leaving alive! Or at least a few good gashes to scar his pretty face.

"What the hell are you doing here, De Chagny?" Ralph whispered fiercely, balling his hands up and trying his best to not beat the man to a bloody pulp!

"I'm here to take back the things that are rightfully mine." He answered innocently, as if he were a little boy who was trying to get back something that a bully had taken from him.

"Adora and her sister are not yours. They belong to absolutely no one. Not even I or my younger brother owns them."

"Brother? Sister? Can somebody please explain to me what is going on here?" Christine nearly screamed. Who was her sister? Who was this 'brother' that the man before them kept talking about?

"I'll explain everything to you later, mademoiselle, but right now is not a good time." Ralph rushed quickly. He knew that he should tell her and his younger brother everything, but with the Vicomte standing right in front of him, it would just waste too much time that they needed.

Raoul looked between the stable boy and his beloved Christine and then to the freak. Could he possibly be patient and wait out the few months to marry her? Or could he get away with a double murder and a kidnapping? He was a Vicomte after all and quite possibly pass off the murders as an act of defense, but what about Christine; she would rat him out in a heartbeat! But who would believe her? She was poor and an opera singer, not to mention a whore, so the police might not take her seriously…

Taking a final look around the room, he gave a sickeningly sweet grin to Christine and a scowl at the two others. "Don't even think of leaving Paris, ma fiancée à être; I'll find you and your beloved…thing. You will be mine." And with that, the Vicomte Raoul de Chagny left the small group, smiling wickedly as he saw Adora standing at the top of the stairs.

"Don't think I have forgotten about you, mon prostituée favorite. You'll be mine as soon as I have Christine. Au revior." He waved, turning on his heal, and exited the docteur's office; whistling happily as he entered his carriage. _Just a few more months, mon amour, and you'll be my precious bride; while Adora is my precious mistress._

^.^

"Will someone please tell me now what on Earth is going on?" Christine cried, furiously wiping her eyes with her good hand. She still had yet to get the needles out of her hand and it was making it extremely difficult to do anything normal, like sitting up; it tugged painfully on her hand as she sat up, trying to avoid Erik's touch.

Ralph stared at the young woman in front of him; she looked so much more fragile than his own Adora, but in some ways, they looked so much alike! "Well, mademoiselle,"

"Call me Christine," she muttered, not daring to look up at the kind faced man in fear of crying like a two year-old.

"Christine, my fiancée, Adora Daae, is your older sister. She had supposedly lost her father while he was on his way to France, but seeing as how you're his daughter that it was not true. Her mother, the nurse, Mignon, is her biological mother. The main reason why we are here is because Adora knew of your engagement to the Vicomte and wanted to warn you about how vile a man he is. You see, he had raped her only last night…she didn't want you going through the same pain that she has." Ralph explained slowly and quietly, as if he were talking to a child and not a twenty year-old woman.

Christine sat on the bed, silent and horrified; her childhood friend had _raped_ her…older sister! She couldn't believe that both of these facts were supposed to be true! _How could this man be speaking the truth? Yes, Raoul seemed unkind and rather rude while he was here, but he wouldn't rape a woman! And what is this about me having a sister and the nurse being her mother? Papa never told me about having another daughter before he met Mama…was Papa lying to us, like how he was lying about arranged marriage?_

"Christine," Erik called gently, placing a hand on her thin shoulder, "are you alright, mon ange?"

"Non, Erik; nothing is alright. Papa lied to me…he promised me that I could choose who I loved and now I'm being forced into this awful marriage! And then I find out that my best childhood friend has raped my older sister, who I apparently never knew existed up until now! Do you really expect me to be alright?!" she burst into angry tears, falling back against the bed and trying to drown out all of her misery.

"We should never have come." Came a timid voice from the door. Looking up, Christine saw a girl with blonde, curly hair, sad chocolate brown eyes, and tear stained pale skin. It was almost as if she were looking into a mirror…

"I'm guessing you're my older sister." Christine smiled slightly, not feeling at all happy or glad as she would like to be. She had just discovered that she had a sister and she could do nothing but fight back tears at what Raoul had done to them both.

"Oui…Oh, my little sister! I'm so sorry! We basically led the Vicomte to you and…and…" Adora cried, wringing her hands and praying that Ralph would come to her side. As if hearing her plea, she felt two strong arms wrap around her petite waist and the most comforting noises were being played in her ear.

"Don't cry, darling. This isn't your fault; it isn't anyone's fault. Someone must have told the Vicomte where we were going. Shh, everything is going to be alright."

Erik sat on the bed, one arm around Christine and the other gently running through her plentiful curls. The man looked so much like him! They had the same hair, cheekbones, body build…could it be the boy his mother had always talked about? Her perfect son?

"Excuse me, monsieur, but what is your name?" he asked quietly. If this man didn't turn out to be the boy his mother had constantly spoke of, it would be quite embarrassing.

"It's Ralph, monsieur and this is Adora, Christine's sister. Erik, there is something that I must tell you-"

"You're her son…you're my older brother. So, you didn't die like mother thought you had." Erik whispered wearily. Looking out the small window, he couldn't tell if it was day or night. Perhaps it was in the twilight hour or perhaps they were now in a world of endless night.

"Erik, I heard what my, I mean our, mother did to you and I wish that I had been there to protect you from her. She never was a kind woman, even towards me and the other children in the village, but you…you were treated so poorly. If it makes you feel any better, she passed away a year ago." Ralph sighed, remembering the day he saw his mother's name in the obituaries. It had torn him up inside, but a feeling of relief had also washed over him; his younger brother wouldn't have to go through anymore pain or hurt from the hands of that woman. Turning around, Ralph was surprised when he saw sadness etched onto his brother's face. _He couldn't love her, could he? I heard from the other villagers that she used to beat him and lock him up in his attic bedroom and curse him for not being the child that she wanted, the child who had run away from home. _

"Forgive me for seeming sad at this news, Ralph, but I did love my mother, even if she never showed kindness to me. There are times where I think back on the memories of her home, her face, her glares and beatings and I can't help but hate her, but there were times, few and brief as they were, where she actually would be kind to me. She would let me outside without my mask on and once…once she nearly kissed my cheek, but she pulled back as soon as she noticed what she was doing." Erik whispered, staring at Christine with his piercing gold eyes. Nobody, not even Christine, could understand the pain and torment and the love he had suffered through with that woman and now that she was dead, he felt empty.

Christine could do nothing to comfort her Erik; he seemed to be in his own world of sorrow and she knew from past experiences that he was the only one who could pull himself out of it. "Erik, I'm so sorry. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Not right now, Christine, but merci." He cracked a small smile. No matter what was happening around her, she always seemed to notice what the people around her were feeling.

Adora looked up from Ralph's damp shoulder to see her sister smiling lovingly up at the deformed man, or Erik as Ralph called him, and not a hint of disgust was on her slightly tanned face. How was it that her Ralph, handsome as he was, be related to someone as deformed as Erik? But there was something about him, maybe it was the way he acted towards her sister, that made her see past the bumpy red flesh and extraordinary thinness and see what Christine might be seeing; a lonely man whose own mother couldn't love him. "We need to figure out a way to leave Paris."

"But how? Raoul said that there was no way we could leave." Christine looked sadly at her sister, wondering if there was a slight chance that all of them could leave the city together.

"I don't know yet, but the Vicomte can't force us to stay here." Adora answered back, slightly annoyed with Christine's lack of trust. _I can't blame her though; she's only just met me and Ralph and after the display Raoul had shown, and my own involvement with the Vicomte, no matter how unwilling it was, she has every right to distrust us._

"If there's a will, there's a way. Like I said, he can't force us to stay here and he can't force us to do anything that we don't want to."

Christine sat for a moment, pondering the older girl's words. Maybe they could escape from Paris-perhaps even all of France!-but Raoul was always determined to get what he wanted, never caring who he had to step on or get hurt in order to get it. _My whole life is here in France though. My career at the opera house, Erik's job at the music shop, our flat…we can't possibly leave everything behind!_ "Alright; all of us can leave Paris together, but there are a few things that I must take care of before I leave."

"We must leave as soon as possible though, madem-Christine. The Vicomte won't hesitate to take you if we stay longer than we need to." Ralph said seriously. Why did she want to delay this any further? True, they hadn't come up with a real plan, but that would be figured out within the next couple of hours, depending on what the Vicomte was planning.

"It will only take me a few days. I need to quit my job at the opera house and Erik must quit his job at the music shop. Plus, there are a few things I would like to pick up from our flat that I would like to take with me." Christine explained, figuring everything out in her head. With her and Erik quitting and picking some clothes and personal items from the flat, it wouldn't take anymore than two days. Four days tops.

"Alright, but first we need to figure out-"

"Figure out what?" Mignon asked, standing between the hallway and the door. She had overheard them all talking as she began to prepare for the morning. The Vicomte was planning on taking away Christine from Erik and Adora away from Ralph and they were trying to figure out a way to leave the city before the fop could come after them.

"Aunt Mignon! I-We didn't see you standing there." Ralph answered awkwardly. He didn't want to break the kind elderly woman's heart by saying that they were leaving, but he knew that it was eventually going to happen. "We're trying to come up with a plan to leave Paris."

"Well, why didn't you just say so; I happen to have a very close friend who is excellent on making people disappear."

**Who is the person she's talking about? *shrugs* If you read the next chapter, you'll find out! Please review! I really like it when you guys review my stuff! I had a ton of fun writing this chapter; Raoul can be such a meanie pants! Hope you all enjoyed it and I can't wait to write for you all again!**

**^.^**


	17. Herr Mannelig

**I'm sorry that it took me forever to update; I've been studying for my French and acting final and I just finished taking part 1 of French. That's right: part 1. I don't want to take a speaking final! Oh well, as long as I pass, that's all that matters. And I made it into Geometry! I honestly didn't think I was going to make it, but I did and I'm proud of myself.**

**Erik: It also means that you can spend more time writing!**

**Me: No, that means I have to study for my Algebra finals to make sure I stay in Geometry. I'm like borderline D-F.**

**Erik: That really sucks…**

**Me: You're telling me! Have fun reading this chapter you guys!**

**Memories**

The ride to wherever they were going was long and very bumpy. Christine thought she was going to be sick after only twenty minutes inside the carriage and continued to move her head back and forth from the ice cold window, which felt soothing upon her forehead, to Erik's warm, comforting shoulder. _Why can't I have both at the same time? I hope this place isn't too far away. _

Erik ran his fingers through his fiancée's hair, trying his best to keep her calm and steady, despite the motion of the carriage. He believed that she should have stayed in at the docteur's office until sunrise, but Mignon had insisted that they should leave as soon as possible. After many arguments with his older brother, Adora, Christine, and the nurse, he finally caved in and allowed them to situate Christine so that she would be comfortable for the ride. He hated seeing his love with the needle still in her arm, allowing fluid from a bag that was hanging by a hook into her system.

"Ange, can you sing, please?" Christine murmured, nuzzling her cheek into his shoulder. The ride was so horrible! She just wanted the needle out of her arm and to be back at their flat, but there was almost no possibility that once they reached this man's house that she would never see her possessions ever again. _The only portrait I have of Papa is in the flat. Maybe Erik and I can go back if we ask…_

"Of course I can, mon amour. Is there anything in particular you'd like to hear?" Erik's golden voice whispered; his lips placing a gentle kiss on her ear. She still felt cool to the touch, but she was as weak as a newborn kitten!

Shaking her head, Christine opened her eyes and looked at the other people in the carriage, feeling a little embarrassed that she forget that Adora, Ralph, and Mignon were in the same carriage. But they all looked at her with sympathy and understanding in their eyes and she gave a tiny smile back. Perhaps having a family wouldn't be such a bad thing. She had always thought that if she just had Erik, everything else would be fine, but she now had a sister and a soon to be brother-in-law and a stepmother and she didn't want to give them up.

Placing a stray curl behind ear, Erik gave a lopsided smile to everyone in the carriage and began to sing a song that Herr Daae had taught him before he had died,

_**Bittida en morgon innan solen upprann **_

_**Innan foglarna började sjunga **_

_**Bergatrollet friade till fager ungersven**_

_**Hon hade en falskeliger tunga **_

_**Herr Mannelig herr Mannelig trolofven i mig **_

_**För det jag bjuder så gerna **_

_**I kunnen väl svara endast ja eller nej **_

_**Om i viljen eller ej:**_

Christine felt her eyes grow heavy at the old Swedish ballad. Herr Mannelig was the story of a mountain troll asking Herr Mannelig to marry her, but he refuses because she is not a Christian woman and, in old folktales, trolls were a Satanic animal. The story ends with the troll begging Herr Mannelig for an answer, all the while telling him that if he had agreed to marry her, she would be free from her curse of being a troll.

_**Eder vill jag gifva de gångare tolf **_

_**Som gå uti rosendelunde **_

_**Aldrig har det varit någon sadel uppå dem **_

_**Ej heller betsel uti munnen **_

_**Eder vill jag gifva de qvarnarna tolf **_

_**Som stå mellan Tillö och Ternö **_

_**Stenarna de äro af rödaste gull **_

_**Och hjulen silfverbeslagna**_

Ralph looked at his younger brother with pride in his eyes; who knew that he could sing? He had heard his mother sing him lullabies, but her voice was nothing compared to Erik's! And despite his outer appearance and devil's face, he deeply cared for the young woman that he was still getting to know and he wished the two all the happiness in the world.

_**Eder vill jag gifva ett förgyllande svärd **_

_**Som klingar utaf femton guldringar **_

_**Och strida huru I strida vill **_

_**Stridsplatsen skolen i väl vinna **_

_**Eder vill jag gifva en skjorta så ny **_

_**Den bästa I lysten att slita **_

_**Inte är hon sömnad av nål eller trå **_

_**Men virkat av silket det hvita **_

There was something kind and gentle about Christine's fiancée that Adora found endearing. He seemed to take good care of her and all of her earlier suspicions were dissipated. _Erik, you better take good care of my little sister or else._

_**Sådana gåfvor toge jag väl emot **_

_**Om du vore en kristelig qvinna **_

_**Men nu så är du det värsta bergatroll **_

_**Af Neckens och djävulens stämma **_

_**Bergatrollet ut på dörren sprang **_

_**Hon rister och jämrar sig svåra **_

_**Hade jag fått den fager ungersven **_

_**Så hade jag mistat min plåga**_

Mignon wanted to cry at the sight of the sweet couple; she loved seeing a man whose past seemed to be so full of torment, be at peace while he sang to his fiancée. She found it kind of ironic that he was singing this particular song to her, seeing as how the song was about rejection, but she wasn't going to say anything. She'd rather watch them, making sickeningly sweet faces at each other and secret smiles then to see them suffer.

_**Herr Mannelig herr Mannelig trolofven i mig **_

_**För det jag bjuder så gerna **_

_**I kunnen väl svara endast ja eller nej **_

_**Om i viljen eller ej**_

On the finishing note, Erik placed a gentle kiss on his Christine's pale forehead, glad that she was sleeping peacefully. He thought for sure, with all of the stress of Raoul and trying to feel better, that she would be suffering from nightmares, but his worries had been for nothing; Christine was going to dream about something other than the demons that were currently plaguing her life. "Sleep well, mon cherie."

"You're so kind to her, Erik." Adora whispered, resting her head on Ralph's shoulder. She was tired and she just wanted to get to this man's house. _I don't want to be stuck in this carriage and I don't want to see Christine so miserable. Why is Maman insisting that we meet this man? Between the four of us, I'm sure we could figure out a way to escape Paris without the Vicomte knowing. _

"Is something wrong, Adora?" Ralph asked, placing his chin on top of her curly blonde head. She seemed to be stressed since they left the hospital; was she worried that the Vicomte was following them? Did she lack in his trust? Did she even trust him anymore? He could understand if she didn't, but if she was, she needed to come out and say it.

"I'm only thinking about these past few hours…how happy we were before all of this began." She cracked a small smile, remembering the morning before she was raped…

_Adora had been washing the dishes in the kitchen, preparing for breakfast. The Vicomte seemed to have brought a girl home with him last night, which wasn't unusual, but this girl seemed…different. Her clothes looked more expensive, appeared to be healthy, and talked with perfect grammar. What could the Vicomte possibly want with a girl like that? Didn't he prefer girls who were…common? Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Adora turned around, her hands dripping wet, and ran into a familiar, broad chest._

"_Good morning, mon amour. How are you?" Ralph's voice tickled her ear. He had given her a small fright, but it wasn't anything that she wasn't used to from him; he always seemed to be sneaking up on her and he was always dead quiet when he did._

"_I'm perfectly fine, but I hate to say this: you're distracting me from my work, Monsieur." She smiled joyfully, kissing her fiancée on the lips. How good it felt to calm him fiancée! They were getting married in a few short weeks and she couldn't be more delighted! Apparently, it showed on her face as well._

"_Well, I should leave you to your work, Mademoiselle. Or, perhaps you would like to talk about a certain wedding day that will bring together two friends together as husband and wife?"_

"_I would much rather talk about the wedding, mon chere, but I really must be getting back to work. The Vicomte brought a girl back home with him and he gets moodier than usual when I don't bring his food to him on time." _

"_But then he keeps you up there all afternoon! He is a greedy thing, thinking that he can look at my Adora. I won't have it! I'll march up to Monsieur le Vicomte and demand that you work in the stables with me!" Ralph teased with mock confidence. He always knew how to make her laugh._

"_And what will you tell Monsieur le Vicomte once you get up there?" Adora asked, sitting down on a stool. A tiny break wouldn't kill her; she was already ahead with her chores for the morning anyway._

"_Well, I will first barge in," he pretended to go through the door, "and say to him, 'Monsieur, I'm sorry to interrupt, but I must ask you a simple favor.'" Ralph was now talking to the squash that was sitting on the table. Adora had to bite her cheek to stop herself from laughing when his face put on a mask of over exaggerated surprise. _

"_No? What do you mean 'no', sir? Why can't I have my darling all to myself?" Ralph sat there, listening as if the squash was talking to him, "You want her? Excuse me, Monsieur, I'm afraid that the lovely you lady is taken…by whom, you ask? By me, of course! I will have her and no other!" And with that, Ralph picked up Adora off of her stool and spun her around the kitchen._

_After getting severely dizzy, and having to save the porridge from boiling over, Adora gave Ralph a sound kiss and ordered him out of the kitchen. With the most adorable pout she had ever seen on his lips, she escorted him out and promised him that she would see him once everyone had gone to bed. _

"_Je t'aime, mon amour." _

"_Moi aussi, je t'aime."_

Feeling tears beginning to well up, Adora closed her eyes and focused on Ralph's steady breathing. In. Out. In. Out. It was so calming…so relaxing…

Ralph looked down at his love, giving a small laugh when he found her fast asleep, her precious head on his chest. Pressing a gentle kiss on her forehead, he leaned his head back; his last coherent thought was of the day he proposed to his Adora, his one and only…

^.^

Nadir was sitting on his sofa, his hands steeped; he was bored out of his mind! He hadn't had a single case in weeks, nobody had come to him for help, and he hadn't heard from any of his insiders about anything new happening. The last thing he had done that was exciting was when he had to investigate the disappearance of a young girl, but it wasn't for anything special; she was found within the weeks she disappeared.

Suddenly, the sound of a carriage interrupted his thoughts. Was someone actually coming? No, he must have been imagining things! But he was wrong, for once; there was a small carriage pulling up to his driveway! _Another case? Help? Allah, let it be something good! _Standing up, the Persian straightened his robes and stood up, waiting for the knock at his door.

Sure enough, not even two minutes later, a frenzied knocking was on his front door. Walking calmly over, Nadir opened it and his brown eyes grew wide with surprise: standing outside was his old friend, Mignon, a young blonde girl, who looked terrified, a strong looking man with his arm wrapped protectively around her tiny waist, and two others, a girl, who appeared to be asleep and a needle in her arm, and another young man, he was carrying the girl and seemed to be exhausted, but they looked familiar…as if he had seen them before…

"I'm so sorry to be bothering you right now, but I know you can help me." Mignon explained, understanding why the poor man seemed so perplexed. He probably wasn't used to visitors at such an odd time, but he looked as if he was expecting someone…he was still in his day clothes!

"Its not trouble at all, Mignon; I haven't seen you in a long time." Nadir smiled, trying to shake off the surprise from his face. He hadn't been expecting a whole group to be with her. Usually when Mignon traveled, it was by herself, or with a docteur. "Please, come inside. I'm sorry that I didn't invite you all sooner."

Giving a slight nod, Mignon led Adora, Ralph, and Erik inside, being careful not to wake Christine. She had been asleep for two hours now and he was beginning to worry a little bit; she was such a light sleeper and the fact that she was still sleeping…it was just odd.

Nadir gestured to his modestly furnished flat, which only contained a sofa, a chair, a rug, and many pillows. Lots and lots of pillows. "Make yourselves comfortable, I'll be right back with some tea."

Looking around, Erik noticed that Mignon was sitting on the expensive looking Persian pillows and remembered from his travels through the country that it was customary to sit on pillows. Setting Christine on a couple, he seated himself next to her, stroking her brunette curls. _Wake up, Christine. Please… _

"I'm back," Nadir smiled, setting down the tea tray, "and now we can get down to business. So, what is it that you want me to do this time, Mignon? Another murder? Suicide? Tell me that you have something interesting."

"Don't I always?" Mignon chuckled, "The job I have for you is going to be tricky, nearly impossible."

"Nothing is too tough for me, after all, I was once Daroga in Persia."

"That is where I know you!" Erik suddenly yelled, a mischievous gleam in his eye. Everybody looked at him as if he had grown a third head! Christine even stirred slightly in her sleep. "You're the man from Persia who saved me and Christine!"

Nadir sat on his pillow, attempting to filter through all of his memories of Persia: his wife, his son, the shah, and two lost teenagers, both looking very, very out of place…

_It had been a particularly hot day; the bazaar was quiet, no wind kicked up the sand, and not even a child played in the street. Still, he was on patrol and had to walk around in the scorching weather. And how he hated it! _

_Besides it being quiet, nothing of importance had come from the shah lately. Usually the spoiled brat of a royal always had something for him to do. The most ridiculous errand yet was to find him a magician. Really! The most powerful man in all of Persia wanted to send out his most trusted officer to find a magician. Shaking his head of the thought, Nadir continued down the dusty street, wondering if anything was going to happen._

_And something did._

_One of the officers he worked with, a man who had a twisted outlook on life, was pulling a young girl by her brown hair, yelling at her that she needed to hide her face. The man was obviously drunk and when he drank too much, he became a powerful, and sometimes deadly, man to deal with, but Nadir couldn't let the girl suffer. Putting on a brave front, he walked over to the officer and demanded that he let the girl go. _

"_What…what are you going to do about it, Nadir?" the man slurred, pulling the girl's hair roughly. Releasing a small whimper, the girl looked at Nadir with terrified and pleading brown eyes. Getting at better look at her, he noticed that she was probably between twelve, or thirteen, and was definitely of European decent: she had brown, curly hair that nearly reached her waist, big, expressive brown eyes, and slightly tan skin, probably from being in the hot Persian sun. _

"_I'm here to tell you to release the girl. Now, will you do so, or will I have to inform our commander that you drank and had intercourse during work?"_

_The man grumbled a curse and released the girl, realizing that it wouldn't even be worth it to take her. She was too small and skinny anyway. _

_The young girl, who had been thrust to the ground, looked as if she was about to faint. Kneeling down in front of her, Nadir asked her if she was here by herself or if she had her parents with her.  
"Erik," was all she mumbled, "where is he?" She spoke French, but there was a slight accent to it, as if it wasn't her native language. _

"_I don't know who you are talking about, young miss, but if you can give me a description, I would be more than happy to help you find him." He replied, helping the girl up on her feet. The girl gave him a surprised look as he spoke in French, even though there was a very heavy Persian accent to it. _

"_You speak French, Monsieur?" _

"_My mother was half French and half Persian. She taught me, but I'm afraid that I'm rusty." He smiled. "What is your name, if you don't mind me asking?"_

"_My name is Christine Daae, Monsieur,"_

"_Nadir,"_

"_Monsieur Nadir. __I'm traveling with my guardian, Erik Destler; he is about ten years older than I am and he has thick, black hair, bright gold eyes, and wears a white mask over half of his face." She whispered the last part, wondering if she should have said anything about her friend's face._

"_Why does he wear a mask, Mademoiselle Christine? Did someone do something to him?" Nadir questioned. People in Persia had been known to be cruel to foreigners, especially the children._

_Christine seemed to fumble with her skirts and kept her eyes down as she said, "He wears it because his face…it isn't normal, Monsieur. It is red and bumpy in some places and in others, the skin is so tight, you can see the veins underneath." _

_Nadir could tell that she was uncomfortable telling him this, as if he would hurt her friend if he knew. Or did she not accept the boy's face? But if she didn't, then why would she be so eager to find him? Deciding that it would be better to ignore his ranting thoughts, he extended his hand out, silently asking Christine if he could escort her around the city. Taking his hand, she had a worried look on her face and was still fiddling with her skirts._

"_Mademoiselle Christine, I promise we'll find your friend; I'm one of the best detectives in all of Persia."_

_Christine gave a slight nod, her brown eyes darting back and forth. She didn't seemed comforted at all with this new bit of information, but that was the least of his worries; if he didn't find Monsieur Erik, he would be stuck with a teenage girl in his home and, with his terribly sick son to look after, he wouldn't have time to really take care of her. _

_It felt like hours before they found Monsieur Erik. Turned out that he had been walking in the opposite direction they had and when they were about halfway around the city, they bumped into the man. First thing that he said surprised Nadir to say the least!_

"_Have you been raped?"_

_Christine's eyes grew wide at the question, but softened as she saw the true concern in his golden eyes. "I'm fine, Erik. Monsieur Nadir helped me find you." She gestured towards him._

_Erik pulled the teenager close to him and breathed a sight of relief. It seemed as if they weight of the world had been taken off of his shoulders. His very thin shoulders. Looking over the young man, Nadir couldn't believe how skinny he was! It looked as if a puff of wind could blow him away. _

"_Thank you, Monsieur, for helping her. I really don't know how we got separated! We had been walking through the bazaar, trying to find something to eat, and the next thing I knew, Christine was gone from my sight." Erik explained, placing a hand on the girl's curly hair, his long, bony fingers running through the tangles._

"_It was no problem, Monsieur Erik. She was lost and I did something that any gentleman would do."_

"_Well, you're the first gentleman I've met here; everyone here doesn't seem to like having foreigners here." Erik chuckled. _

"_That's Persia for you. Do you two have any place to stay?" Nadir asked. Even though he wouldn't have the time to look after them, Erik looked as if he was in his early twenties and could take care of himself and Christine seemed to be pretty self reliant also. Perhaps they could even look after his ailing Reza, who was now confined to his bed._

"_Not yet, Monsieur. We have only just arrived in this country and I'm trying to find work." _

"_You'll be the luckiest man alive if you do." Then, Nadir thought of the errand he was running for the shah. Maybe Erik knew a magic trick or two. "Actually, I think I can secure you a job, Monsieur, but be warned, it won't be as easy as you think it would be." _

_Erik smirked at the offer, probably wondering what could be sound so easy, but be difficult at the same time. "I'm sure I can handle it, Monsieur."_

"_Do you know any magic tricks?"_

"_Erik is the best magician ever! He used to do it as a side job when we lived in Paris." Christine chimed in._

"_I don't know about the best, but, yes, I know quite a few."_

"_Would you like to become the shah's personal magician? Again, it won't be as easy as you think; he is a very selfish man and if you don't give him what he wants…well, let's just say that the outcome won't be good."_

_At the mention of this, Nadir noticed how Christine's body went rigid. Didn't she have anyone else she could live with, just in case Erik…didn't make it? But Erik also saw the girl's body changed and immediately began to comfort her. "I promise you, Christine, nothing will happen to me. You know I'll never leave you."_

"_That's what Papa said." Was her only remark before ran off down the street. Giving an exasperated sigh, Erik began to run, trying to catch up with her. Nadir decided that it might be a smart thing to follow them, seeing as how he had just offered the boy a job and a home.  
By the time Nadir reached the two, Christine was huddled on a step, her skinny arms wrapped around her legs, and Erik holding her tightly, singing something that was in a different language than French. Seeing the scene, Nadir decided that it would be best to find them later; the city wasn't very large._

"I remember you two very well, but Mademoiselle Christine was much smaller then and, if you don't mind me saying, healthier. Tell me, Monsieur Erik, what happened to her?"

Erik turned his golden gaze down to his sleeping fiancée, placing his bony hand on her pale cheek. "It's a long story, Monsieur Nadir. Basically, she was kidnapped by the Vicomte de Chagny, drugged, and had an overdose. She'll be fine in a couple of days, but right now, she needs time to rest and regain her strength."

Nadir smiled at the way Erik explained Christine's illness; he could tell that by the way he was looking at her, their relationship had changed since Persia. "I'm glad to hear that she'll be better. I would like to talk to her myself. Now, back to our main issue: what is it that you want me to do, Mignon?"

"I need you to help these four," she gestured towards Adora, Ralph, Erik, and Christine, "to get out of France. The Vicomte de Chagny has a supposed arranged marriage with Christine and has raped my daughter, Adora, and he will stop at nothing to get them."

"I didn't know you had a daughter." Nadir laughed, but stopped when he saw the pain in the girl's brown eyes. "I'm sorry to hear what has happened to you, Mademoiselle Adora. I promise you, I'll help you all get out of the country without the Vicomte figuring it out."

Adora only nodded and hid her face in Ralph's warm shoulder. Why were they here? They could be out of the country by now! This man jumped from one thing to the next and he was the one getting them out of France?

Stroking her curls, Ralph placed a kiss on top of Adora's head and sighed. He just wanted to leave France, no matter who was leading them out. He wanted to get married to his love and help her forget the horrible things that the Vicomte had done to all of them. He also wanted to get to know his brother and Adora's sister, to see what they were like in times of peace and calm.

"The plan will take a couple of days to prepare, plus, everyone needs time to rest and get ready to leave at a moments notice. Trust me, by the end of the week, you all will be out of France."

**DONE! That was a pretty big chapter compared to my last one. I spent all day planting and potting and I even got roses! Red roses! I'm such a phan! And a dork, but I accepted that a long time ago. Well, I'm going to bed and I hope you guys enjoy this.**

**^.^**


	18. Returning and Knowing

**I've been super excited to finish this up! Even though I should be studying, I want to write Fanfiction. I feel pretty comfortable with my speaking final tomorrow and my English final, but Algebra…yeah, not so much. Keep your fingers crossed that I at **_**least**_** a 65% because I need to stay within the D range!**

**Erik: You'll do fine! Just put a good luck charm in your pocket.**

**Me: That good luck charm being you.**

**Erik: You can't fit me into your pocket! It's impossible!**

**Me: Nothing is impossible! You're my muse after all.**

**Erik: Very true. Oh well, start writing!**

**Memories**

Christine could faintly hear the sound of Erik's voice, telling her to wake up, but she didn't want to wake up! It was so nice in the darkness; the pain seemed to melt away. She didn't know how long she had been asleep, though judging from the amount of concern in her angel's voice, she could guess it was more than a couple of days. Perhaps it was time for her to wake up…She might as well and save Erik an attack. Turning her head, she felt her cheek coming in contact with a silky pillow. Where was she? The last thing she could remember was falling asleep in the carriage and Erik singing her an old Swedish ballad. Did something happen between now and then? Was Erik, Mignon, or anybody else there with her? She had to know!

Opening her eyes, Christine was met with nothing but darkness. Her first instinct was to scream and if anybody came near her, she would fight them off as best as she could. Cautiously sitting up, her eyes began to adjust to the darkness around her and were able to make out her surroundings: she was sitting in a large, king-sized bed with a light quilt on top, a desk was by the door, which she was planning on using just in case she had to escape, and a chair that sat in the far left corner next to the window. _What is this place? Where am I? More importantly, who changed me into this nightgown?_ Then, she heard something that sounded like a whimper. Trying her best to look harder, Christine was able to make out the faint shape of a man and began to panic.

But as a slight breeze came through the window, causing the curtains to blow, she could see the outline of a very familiar white porcelain mask and a man she had come to love over the past few days. Christine breathed a sigh of relief, but stiffened when she heard the whimper again; it almost sounded like a child who was in the middle of a nightmare. Pushing the covers back, she let an unladylike curse slip out of her mouth when she felt the tug of the needle in her arm, and quietly tiptoed over to Erik.

His breathing had become heavier, almost panting, and he looked as if he was going to start crying. Christine was no stranger to her friend's nightmares; he used to suffer from them every night, especially when they were younger. He used to cry out, begging his mother to love him, asking the Gypsy to stop beating him, and pleading with her father to recover. This one seemed different though; he wasn't fighting anything and he seemed to be murmuring instead of his usual shouting. For as long as she could remember, Christine had been there to comfort her Erik through his nightmares and she wasn't about to let some morphine overdose get in the way of it.

"Masque, it's alright, I'm here. You're only having a nightmare, mon amour, you'll be fine." she cooed softly, caressing his perfect cheek. He seemed to calm slightly at the sound of her voice, but his body suddenly went rigid and Christine automatically became worried; usually he wouldn't do this. The last time this happened was when they were in Persia and Erik had just come home from his first day of being the shah's magician.

"Erik, calm down, mon ange. Nobody is here but me, I promise. Please, wake up."

Suddenly, Erik's unusual golden eyes opened and one of his long, bony hands went straight to her throat. Christine was terrified! Erik had never done this to her before! Clawing weakly at his wrist, she began to choke from the lack of air and began praying that he would wake up soon, or else she would be dead.

"E-Erik! Wake…u-up!" she choked out. Finally, Erik's eyes lost their glassy look and returned to normal, but as soon as they returned to normal, they filled with shock and horror. Rising swiftly out of his chair, his arm got caught within the tube that connected to Christine's arm and ripped it clean out. Giving a shriek of pain, Christine gazed down at her arm and felt something warm and sticky and recognized it immediately as her own blood. Did Erik really tear the needle out of her arm?

Erik was rooted in his spot, hoping that nobody had heard Christine's shriek. So far, nobody was coming and he was only slightly relieved. Now he had to go over to her and physically help her clean her wound which he was responsible for. How could he hurt her in such a way? She was his fiancée! He had just tried to choke her and now he just destroyed the only thing that was keeping her healthy. Looking down at Christine, who was still sitting on the floor, Erik leaned down, hold out his shaking hand for her to take, but she didn't. Quickly, he withdrew his hands and slowly backed away from her, as if his presence alone would cause her damage.

"I'm so sorry, Christine. So, so sorry." He whispered. He really was a monster. He was a monster and she was the trapped princess. Perhaps he should give her to the Vicomte; after all, he would at least treat her with respect.

Wait, what was he thinking? He saw how the Vicomte had treated them and there was no way on Earth that the fop could take better care of Christine, but he had done something that was worthy of the Vicomte. He had hurt the only thing he had ever cared about.

Rising from the floor, Christine placed her pale hand on the back of the chair in order to keep herself from falling, she reached out her free hand for Erik to take. She could see the guilt in his eyes and the pain. She could tell that he didn't mean to hurt her in such a way; it was an accident and she knew that it was. Erik would never hurt her on purpose.

"Erik, will you help me get cleaned up? I'm sure the owner of this room wouldn't be too happy to see blood on his carpet." Christine cracked a small smile, trying her best to make her Erik move closer, but he refused to move even a muscle. _Why do men always have to be so difficult?_ "Please, mon ange? The sooner we can clean up this mess, the sooner we can go to bed. You can sleep next to me if you want." She said, blushing furiously.

Erik couldn't help but smile at this; he definitely wouldn't mind it if he could sleep next to his beauty. Still, he had hurt her during his nightmare. What if it happened again? And what if he didn't wake up in time to stop himself? What if this time he killed her? "That is a very kind thing for you to suggest, mon cherie, but I'm afraid that I can't. I will not put you life at stake, even if it is just sleeping."

Sighing, Christine headed towards the door, all the while muttering why Erik couldn't put enough faith in himself. Erik stood silently and waited for the door to the bedroom shut before he finally burst. Throwing himself down on the bed, he tossed his mask against the wall and watched it shatter. How could he do such a thing to her? He loved her! He asked her to marry the other night! They even…well, they did something they should have waited on, but he didn't regret it. Did Christine know what she was getting herself into? _She has known me for…God only knows how many years! She knows about my past, she has seen my scars, and still she loves me. How is that even possible? _

Christine lit the candle that was sitting next to the sink and nearly screamed at what she saw: there was a thin line that ran down her arm, but there was so much blood! She felt as if she was going to faint. Sitting down on the floor, she placed her good hand to her mouth and contemplated whether or not to go get Mignon, or her sister. Christine knew that Adora was already wary of Erik, mainly because of his face, but what would Mignon do? Stick another needle into her arm? God above, she didn't want that again! _Why can't things be like they were? If I had never gone to that opera house, none of us would be in this mess! But, I guess I would have never got to meet my sister and Erik wouldn't have got to meet his brother. _

Feeling tears beginning to well up in her eyes, Christine decided that it would be better to go back to the room she had been in and try to ask Erik again if he could help her clean her wound, but a knock on the door interrupted her plan. Who could be up at this hour?

"Is anybody in there? I thought I heard a crash?" a male voice asked. Stiffening, Christine opened the door slightly and slowly began to relax when she saw that it was only Ralph.

"I'm fine. Something…Erik is upset, that's all. He'll calm down in a few minutes." She whispered, blushing as she looked at Ralph. The man had on no shirt and wore tight fitting trousers; she was surprised that he would go to bed like that!

"Are you sure, Christine? You really should be getting your rest." Ralph said, feeling awkward. He had become worried when he heard something break in his brother's room and he forgot to put on his shirt! He could tell that she was clearly embarrassed at his appearance. Before turning back to head towards his room, he noticed something was trickling down Christine's arm and dripping onto the carpet. "What's on your arm? Are you bleeding?"

"N-No! I'm fine, honestly." Christine gasped, feeling dizzy at the mention of her blood. Or was it something else? She hadn't felt this bad since…since she found out about the morphine overdose. Leaning against the doorway, her vision began to blur and the image of Ralph began to twist and turn.

"Christine? Christine, what's wrong? Do you want me to get Erik?" Ralph asked, beginning to panic. Her brown eyes began to glaze over and her skin looked flushed. Grasping her thin arm, he felt something sticky covering her arm. Ralph was automatically able to put two and two together and reached for a towel that was lying on the rack and pressed it against her wound. It wasn't very deep, or big, but he could tell that it more than likely cut one of her veins, which was the cause behind the vast amounts of blood. "Just breathe, Christine. I'll get Mignon and she'll help you, alright?"

Shaking her head, Christine's gaze went towards the bedroom door, where she knew that behind it, was her Erik. He could help her. He was the only help she wanted. "Erik. Please get Erik."

All Ralph could do was nod before he picked her up and pounded on Erik's door. How could he leave his fiancée out here, bleeding and slightly feverish, and just continue to sleep? What was wrong with him?

"Erik, open this door now! Christine is sick and she only wants you!" he called, his anger growing when he didn't hear anything coming from the inside. Opening the door, Ralph looked around and saw that his younger brother wasn't in the room. Where could he possibly run off to? Turning around, he began to walk back down the hallway, but stopped when he heard his brother's voice.

"I don't know what to do, Nadir. I've nearly let her get killed twice and one of them was because of me! I nearly choked her to death and then I ripped the needle right out of her arm!" Erik whispered fiercely. Ralph didn't understand what was going on, but apparently it had something to do with him…chocking Christine.

"Don't be too hard on yourself; Persia is a country that will turn even the bravest men into complete cowards. I was surprised when you actually accepted to take that job as being the shah's personal magician and after what the Khanum made you do, I'm not surprised that you would have nightmares."

"It still isn't an excuse! I almost killed her, Daroga! How am I supposed to marry her now? How can she still want to marry me?"

"Erik, you must understand that Mademoiselle Daae loves you and will always love you. I'm sure she knows that it was an accident that you ripped the needle out of her arm and that you choked her because of your nightmare. I'm sure that if anyone else was around, you still would have reached out and tried to kill them." The Persian replied calmly. He could tell that someone was standing outside of his door, eavesdropping, but he had to focus his attention on Erik right now. The boy looked terrible!

"But it was her! It wasn't just anyone else. I tried to kill Christine. I'm no better than that damn Vicomte!"

"Don't you _ever_ say that, Erik." Ralph whispered, walking into the room. Why would Erik, his younger brother, compare himself to that low, vile, weakling of a man? "How can you say that? Christine would not be here if you were anything like the Vicomte. Christine needs your help right now and I can promise you that I will tell you off later."

Erik sat on the Persian rug, looking down at his musical fingers. The same fingers that nearly cost Christine her life. "You're right, Ralph. Give me Christine and we can talk later."

Hearing her name, Christine's brown eyes searched frantically for her beloved's and nearly began to cry when she found them. Those golden depths…she always managed to get herself lost in them. "E-Erik…it hurts. My a-arm, Masque." She whimpered, reaching her bleeding arm out for her angel to take. Erik looked up at his fiancée and felt terrible; he had selfishly wallowed in his own pity and didn't bother to see if Christine was alright.

Getting up from the floor, he walked up to his older, but slightly shorter, brother and took his sick love into his arms. He could feel a fever begin to start and quickly nodded his head towards Nadir before he walked out of the cinnamon scented room. Gazing down at Christine, he saw that she was already asleep; her breathing coming out in tiny sighs. Erik felt a pit in his stomach begin to grow at the sight of her arm and he couldn't help but to blame himself all over again.

"I'm sorry, Ange. I'm so very sorry." He cooed softly, kissing her petite nose and carried her back down the hall, into their bedroom. Placing her delicately on the bed, he walked swiftly to the bathroom and grabbed a small washcloth and ran it under cool water; he hoped that it would bring down his love's fever. _She just got over this! How could this be happening again? Is it because she doesn't have the drugs in her system anymore? Maybe it's the shock she received when I choked her. Either way, I have no choice but to wake up Mignon and ask her for help. _Erik walked back into the room and released a breath he didn't even realize he was holding: Christine was in a half sitting position, the towel that was covering her bleeding arm was on the floor. Sitting on the bed, he pushed her gently back down, but she refused to budge. She looked at him with bright, brown eyes and a smile that played on her pale lips, as if she had a secret that she wasn't about ready to reveal.

"Masque, c-can you make the…the pain g-go away?" she whimpered, her tiny hand grasping his larger, warmer one.

"I'll try my best, Ange, but I might have to wake Mignon to help me."

"N-No! Please…don't. She'll…p-put another needle…in m-my arm."

"But that needle will help you feel better. Don't you want to feel better, amour?"

Nodding her head shakily, Christine plopped back down amongst plush pillows, her lips moving, but didn't make any sound. Kissing her cheek, Erik walked silently out of the room and down the hall to the room at the very end and knocked softly on the door.

Mignon had been awake for awhile and had heard the whole commotion, but she didn't want to get up; her hope was that they would resolve it themselves, but apparently that wasn't the case. Rising out of her bed, she wondered who could want to talk to her and when she saw Erik at the door, she knew that it had something to do with Christine. "Just take me to her and I'll do what I can." Was all Mignon said as she moved past the young man.

Entering the dimly lit room, she gave a small smile when she saw the girl perk up at the sight of her fiancée, but soon turning into a scowl when she entered. _I can't blame her for looking at me like that. I wouldn't want to have a needle shoved into my arm either. _

Bending over the girl's bloody arm, Mignon could tell that the bleeding had stopped and that, once the wound was cleaned up, it would only require a simple bandage. Now that she had seen the worst part of the damage, she turned her attention to the fever. Without the medicine, Christine had developed a fever, but if she could get her back on the medication, everything would be cleared up by morning and the needles would no longer be necessary.

"Christine, I'm going to give you more medicine through a needle, but I promise that you can take it out first thing in the morning."

"Alright." Christine breathed, turning her head away from the kind old woman. She knew that she was only trying to help, but she didn't want anymore medicine! She didn't want anymore needles pricking her skin! She was tired of all of this!

"Good. Erik, will you go wet the compress again? I need to go back to my room and grab a few things out of my bag."

"Of course." Erik answered, taking the cloth off of Christine's head and walked silently to the bathroom. Questions ran through his mind, memories bombarded his mind, and dark thoughts clouded his thinking. _I pray to God that she'll forgive. Please, forgive me, Christine. I love you. _

^.^

Raoul swirled his brandy around in his glass, waiting for a messenger to return with the whereabouts of his Christine. He had sent the man out a little over two hours ago and he still hadn't returned. _Where could that blasted man be? I pay him, allow him to keep his family, and I keep his children safe and this is how he repays me? Well, maybe I'll send his whole family to the poor house! _

Suddenly, there was a knock on his study room door and he nearly dropped his glass out of surprise. "Come in!" he barked harshly, cursing when he noticed a bit of the dark liquor spilled onto his expensive suit. Hearing the door click open, Raoul saw the dark colored man enter the grand room; he was soaking wet and was trembling. Taking a look outside, he vaguely noticed that it was snowing outside, but didn't really care. He set down his glass and walked over towards the man, a mocking smile on his face.

"Welcome back, Darius! I thought you would never return."

"I'm sorry, Monsieur le Vicomte, but a storm had come in and it took much longer than I thought it would to return." Darius murmured, afraid of what his master might do. Lately, the young man had taken to drinking, sex, and…various other activities that showed him that he was definitely his father's son.

"No matter. So, do you know where Mademoiselle Daae is hiding?" Raoul ordered, his face only inches from the Persian's. Taking a deep breath, Darius nodded, feeling sick inside that he was revealing the poor woman's location.

"She-She's at Nadir Khan's house, Monsieur le Vicomte."

**I know this is shorter than usual, but I'm going to be doing tons of updating now that I only have one day left of school. I'm sorry that this is shorter than the last chapter, but I hope that you guys enjoyed it at least! Now, the plot thickens! Raoul knows where everyone is hiding! Muhahahahaha!**

**Erik: You just love to torture us, don't you?**

**Me: I do not! You're crazy.**

**Erik: Really? Well, I think you're the one that's crazy! **

**Me: Whatever. Please, remember to read, fave, if you haven't already, and review!**

**Erik: Or I'll be coming after you with a flaming baseball bat!**


	19. Conversations

**Sorry I've been gone for so long you guys! A lot of stuff happened over the summer that didn't really turn out great and school has been tough, etc . But the plus side is that I'm not dead (yippee!) and Erik is here to help us out with the newest chapter!**

**Erik: I'm so happy you're back!**

**Me: Yeah, you and me both.**

**Erik:…Aren't you going to tell everyone, including myself, why you disappeared off the face of the earth?**

**Me: I don't wanna talk about it.**

**Erik: But-**

**Me: *glares***

**Erik: Okay, she obviously doesn't want to talk, so I'll take over. Again, sorry for the late update, but from what I understand, it has been crazy. Without any further adieu, here is your story!**

**Memories**

Christine smiled as Erik waited on her hand and foot; she knew that he was feeling guilty about last night and even though she told him that she had already forgiven him, he still insisted on making her feel comfortable. _"Nothing is too good for you, mon ange."_

Right now, the young man was in the bathroom, wetting down a compress for her slight fever. _He's been acting like I'll drop dead any minute! Mignon told me that the needle could come out of my arm in an hour or so and that I won't need it again unless I begin to feel ill again. Doesn't Erik believe me when I say that I'll be alright? _

Letting her thoughts continuing to wander, Christine nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard her sister calling out her name. "Christine, dear, are you alright?"

"Yes, Adora, I'm fine. Erik is getting me a cool cloth for my fever, which I'm glad to say is almost gone." The young diva smiled. She was glad that she had somebody else besides Erik to talk to; she loved her Erik with all her heart, but she did like to talk to other human beings, believe it or not!

"Are you sure? When Ralph told me what happened, I was very worried about you." Adora gave her own worried smile. "I just found out that you exist; I don't want anything to be happening to you."

"Nothing will happen to me. Erik and I have been through so much and me being sick isn't the worse thing that's happened. Besides, I'm not going anywhere in a long time."

Sighing, Adora pushed back a stray chocolate curl out of her sister's face and gave her a soft kiss on her forehead. _I believe her when she says that she'll be fine, but what does she mean that this isn't the worse thing that's never happened to her, or Erik? What kind of children has she had? What kind of things did Erik get her into? I know she grew up with Papa; didn't he care about her and her safety?_ "Alright, I believe you, but take it easy for awhile; nobody knows where we are and I promise that nothing will happen to you while you are here."

Christine stiffened. What made Adora think that she was worried about something happening? She knew that nobody knew, except for the people with them right now, where Nadir's house was. "What makes you think that I would be worried?" she asked calmly.

"You know what I mean. Christine, I know what happened to you and I never want what happened to me happen to you. Now, I'm going to let you get some rest; if you need anything, please ask. I don't mind helping my sister." Adora gave Christine one final warm smile and left the room, nearly bumping into Erik.

"Excuse me, mademoiselle; I didn't mean to run into you." Erik apologized quietly. He had heard Christine and Adora talking to each other and he felt his heart sink a little when he had heard Christine saying that her illness wasn't the worst thing that had happened to her while she was living with him. Yes, they had gone through some pretty horrible things while they were growing up, but nothing could have been as bad as this! She nearly died for crying out loud!

"Its fine, Erik; I wasn't watching where I was going. I was just having a talk with Christine and I'm glad that she is feeling better. Please let me know if something happens." Adora asked, giving the deformed young man a pat on his shoulder. Even though she didn't completely trust him yet, she trusted Christine's judgment and from the way that he had been treating her lately, he was nothing short of a gentleman.

Erik gave a quick nod and entered the room, immediately going to Christine's side. Her chocolate eyes brightened up at the sight of him and he felt a twinge of guilt when he saw the bruises on her neck. _I've been the worst fiancée on the planet and she still smiles at me._

"I brought you the compress; I hope that it'll bring down the rest of your fever." He whispered gently, handing Christine the wet cloth. She took it, but put it on the nightstand, giving him an exasperated look.

"I don't have the plague, Erik. I'm going to be fine and Mignon even promised that she would take the needle out of my arm later on. Trust me!" she giggled sweetly, pulling her soon-to-be-husband on to the bed and took of his mask. Why he insisted on wearing that dreadful thing all the time was beyond her; he knew that she hated it, but maybe he wasn't comfortable around Ralph and Adora that he felt like he had to wear it. "I hope that you can stop wearing that dumb mask one day. I love you and your face."

"Really? You don't mind my face?"

"How many times do I have to tell you that I don't care? We've known each other since we were children and you still don't believe me!" she whined, snuggling her face into his chest, loving the motion of his chest moving up and down underneath her cheek.

Erik gave a deep chuckle at his love's behavior; she was acting like such a child and he loved her all the more for it. "Alright, alright. I'll take your word for it, mon rose, but in return you must rest. Mignon would kill me if she found us talking while you were supposed to be sleeping."

Pouting, but doing as she was told, Christine rolled off of Erik and back on to her own pillow, suddenly realizing how tired she really was. _So much for feeling better._ She thought before she fell into a calm sleep. "Sleep well, ange." Erik whispered, shutting the door on his way out.

^.^

Raoul was sitting in his carriage, waiting for his driver to take him to Monsieur Nadir Khan's home. Thanks to Darius, a man who lived with Nadir, but secretly worked for the Vicomte, he was able to get the exact address of where Christine was staying. An evil grin passed over his boyish face as he sat there thinking about her; about their wedding, their wedding night, Adora as his mistress…it was all too good to be true!

"Monsieur le Vicomte, are you ready to leave?" the driver asked timidly. Ever since his master had been rejected by the opera rat, he had been acting strange; he would disappear at night, never go to his business meetings, and even told his brother to…let's just say it wasn't very polite to do in high society. Even though he never did approve of his master's relationship with the young star, he didn't want anything life threatening to the girl; she was innocent after all. It wasn't her fault that she was the center of his master's insane affections.

"I have been for the past hour! Take me to Nadir Khan's house or I'll see to it myself that you and your family will be out on the streets!" he answered coldly. The driver noticed that there was a look in his master's eye, something that told him that not everything in his mind was working right.

"Of course, sir, right away."

Laughing to himself, Raoul felt the jerk of the carriage and watched the scenery passing by. All the way, all he could think about was his Christine. His beautiful, lovely, whore of a fiancée.

^.^

Ralph was sitting in his room while Adora was out with Mignon running some errands. Both women insisted that they were the ones that would do the shopping, even though Ralph had insisted. He didn't want the two going out in fear of being caught, but Nadir had provided them with some traditional Persian women's clothing that covered up their entire face. _"They shall be hiding in plain sight."_ He still didn't like the idea of the two of them going, but he agreed, just as long as they promised not to show anyone their faces. Adora had given him a small frown, but agreed and promised to be back as soon as possible, but he highly doubted that would happen.

Adora was hell bent on having Ralph and Erik bonding. _"You two are brothers! You should at least get to know him, Ralph!"_ When he had asked about her and Christine, she gave him her famous cheeky smile and told him that it was under control. Whatever that meant! Ralph had to admit that Christine and Adora seemed closer than Ralph and Erik, but wasn't it natural for two women to know each other faster than two men? Especially when the eldest of the two was jealous because the younger one was being born? As complicated as it sounded when he told her, all she did was laugh and leave.

He had to admit it though, he should be getting to know his younger brother, whether or not he was the reason why he had left home. _Does he even know that I ran away? He probably doesn't know anything about me…maybe Mother told him bits and pieces, but I can't imagine she told him much. _Sighing, Ralph was going to go do something he hadn't done in forever: strike up a conversation. He never was much of a talker to begin with and with this being a touchy subject, he wasn't entirely sure how to go about it. Finally, after going through several mental demons and wondering if he should save this…'heart to heart' talk for later, Ralph decided that it was better to do it now than face the wrath of Adora later on.

Ralph made his way to the door at a snail's pace, he was about to open the door when he heard a knock on it. He nearly jumped five feet, but was able to regain his composure and open the door and sure enough, there stood his younger brother, towering over him. _Why does he have to be so tall?_

"Ah, Erik! There you are! I was about to come and find you. I think we need to talk." He said hurriedly, gesturing for the masked man to come into the room. Erik merely nodded and entered without saying a word. _Well this is already going perfect! _Ralph thought bitterly, but kept a fact smile planted on his face. Erik took a seat on a chair in the corner while Ralph took a seat on the bed. "Erik, I know that we don't know each other very well, but…but I want to get to know you better. I want to know about you childhood, what you and Christine did growing up together, how you fell in love with her. Everything!"

Erik looked at his brother, surprised; this was probably the most he had said to him since they met. At least, in one sitting. But Ralph wanted to know _everything_? Did that include their mother? Giovanni? Herr Daae? Deciding that it would be smart to start from the very beginning, Erik took a deep breath and began his story,

"Well, there's not much to say about Mother: she became pregnant, gave birth to me, and hated me. I'm not even named after anybody in the family; in fact, I was named after the priest who was brought over to the house just to make sure I wasn't Satan's child, or something along those lines. Anyways, the earliest memory I have of Mother is her tossing me my mask and yelling at me for not being the perfect son that she had had. I was too young at the time in order to put two and two together, even though by the time I was three I was almost as smart as she was," Erik gave a short laugh at the thought, "And by the time I was five, I was studying architecture. Mother had a tutor come in every other day, because that was all she could afford, and he would only teach me how to build churches and cathedrals. You see, even though Father Erik had announced that I wasn't the spawn of some demon, Mother believed deep down in her heart that I couldn't possibly be her son and that I was a demon. So, in order to keep me from my 'demonic ways', the only thing they would teach me were things from the Bible or anything based around religion. Then, Mother made a…friend so to speak. He was a doctor, I can't really remember what kind, but he was a horrid man, a perfect match for her. I heard them talking one night about sending me away to some hospital in rural France and I didn't want to leave; as cruel as she was, she was still my mother and I loved her. So, that night, I packed up my things and left. I was only eight."

Ralph couldn't believe what he was hearing! That didn't sound like his mother at all! From what he could remember, she was a sweet, kind, caring woman who would go out of her way to make sure he was happy. Sure, she was sometimes a little selfish, but everybody was and he never remembered her being cruel to anybody; even the poor people who would beg for money. Noticing that Erik had stopped, Ralph raised his gaze from the wooden floor and at his brother's face; he appeared to be distressed. Was this too much for him? _I don't want to upset him. Maybe a little at a time._

"Erik, you don't have to talk anymore. Perhaps tomorrow you can tell me a little more?" He suggested as he stood up. Erik gave a curt nod and stood up so fast that he nearly knocked the chair over. The memories of what his mother had done to him were clawing their way back up to the surface of his mind and he wanted nothing more than to shut up the voices that had been long dead. _Christine. I need to talk to Christine. I need to be near her; she always seems to know how to calm me down!_

"I promise that I will tell you more, but it only gets worse from there. I did not have a pleasant childhood, until I met Christine, but even then it wasn't picture perfect." He whispered the last part to himself.

Ralph gave his brother an encouraging pat on the back before he led him to the door. He had an ache in the pit of his stomach that wouldn't go away, like something horrible was going to happen.

Just then, the front door was opened and slammed shut and Adora's voice drifted up the stairs; she sounded absolutely terrified: "He's found us! He's really, really found us!"

**And we are done. I know this is a short update, but be glad that you even got one! Between school, band, friends, and being part of the Homecoming Committee thingy, I've been very stressed! Plus, I got sick so that didn't help much either. **

**Erik: It seems like every time you update you're sick.**

**Me: I know. That's usually the only time I get to right.**

**Erik: This is very true.**

**Me: Yeah. Well, thank you so, so, so much for your patience and if you could please, please, please leave a review, that would be the coolest thing ever! I'm off to bed now, so night! And thanks for reading!**


	20. He's Coming

**Over a year in the making and we've finally hit chapter 20! We are definitely doing great here! I'm sorry that it has taken me so long to get to this point and I promise that I'll be updating sooner and quicker and all that jazz because, believe it or not, we still have a bunch of stuff to get to. Yes. We have quite a few more chapters ahead of us, but I just wanted to have fun with this chapter, even though I left off on a cliffie in the last on.**

**Erik: That was a horrible thing to do to us!**

**Me: You're in on it too! We're writing partners and it's not my fault that you helped contribute to all of this…**

**Erik:…Christine! She's yelling at me again! *runs off***

**Me: Well, we won't be seeing him till the bottom. And I wasn't yelling at him! I was just talking very loudly…just read chapter 20! Huzzah that we made it this far!**

**Memories**

"He's found us! He's really, really found us!" Adora screamed. She and Mignon had been out shopping for food when she saw the Vicomte's carriage stopped at the local tavern. She didn't even bother telling Mignon; she just took off running towards Nadir's house, not caring if people stared at her. Adora refused to stop running until she reached the house and even then she was high strung, as if she was expecting the Vicomte to pound on the door at any second!

Ralph and run down the stairs as fast as he could and his breath was taken away at the sight of his Adora: she looked like she had just run as if her life had depended on it! The veil that was covering her face had been moved and he could see how pale she was, sweat was beading down her forehead, and her chest was rising and falling uncontrollably.

"Adora, love, is the Vicomte coming? Where is he?" Ralph asked, grabbing her by her shoulders. He desperately needed to find out if it was the Vicomte coming after them so that everybody could leave the house safely.

Adora nodded several times, trying to calm down. She could feel Ralph's fingers digging into her shoulder and she winced. "Ralph, let go…that hurts." She whimpered quietly. Hearing her request, Ralph released her shoulders and suddenly felt guilty. He pulled her into a comforting hug, whispering sweet nothings to her.

"I promise that nothing will happen. Go upstairs and change Christine into one of the outfits that you're wearing, that is if Nadir has another. Once you're done, meet me, Erik, and Nadir outside where the carriage is." He instructed, pushing a piece of her blonde hair behind her ear. She still looked terrified, in fact, she was still shaking, but he knew that she would be strong for him and if not for him, then for her sister. Guiding his fiancé towards the stairs, Ralph's heart dropped when he heard the door open, thinking it was Raoul, but when he turned around, it was just Mignon, out of breath and ready to pass out.

"A-Adora…at least wa-warn me before…before you take o-off like that." The elderly woman gasped. She may be in shape, but there was no way that she was going to keep up with a girl who was several years younger than her!

"I'm sorry, Maman. I-I just saw his carriage and…and I didn't think! I just ran!" Adora cried. She had been so scared! For a quick second, she saw her herself in the carriage, being raped yet again by the Vicomte and she nearly broke down right then and there. "I better go and wake up Christine; we need to start moving as soon as possible."

^.^

Christine had heard the scream, in fact it was what woke her up, but she hadn't been able to hear who was behind the scream and why. _What on Earth is going on? Is Raoul here? Oh please God, don't let him be here! He'll surely kill Erik and Ralph and Mignon and just take me to be his bride and my poor sister as his mistress! _She couldn't bear the thought of losing the people who she considered to be family. She had grown close to everybody, despite the short amount of time that she had actually known them.

Hearing the door open, Christine threw the covers over her head, knowing that if it was Raoul it wouldn't stop him; he would just keep coming until he was lying right down next to her. She felt a hand on her shoulder and she let out a squeak of fright, shaking the hand off her shoulder. "Go away! Please, just leave us alone!"

"Christine! Christine, darling, it's me, Erik." He said, trying to shush his shaking love. Her curly head poked through the covers and her whole body seemed to relax when she saw that it was indeed Erik standing beside her.

"Oh Erik, I'm so sorry! What is going on? I heard somebody screaming and then crying…is Raoul here?"

"Not yet, Lotte, but he will be soon. Adora just came back and said that she had spotted the bastard's carriage at the local tavern; probably getting drunk right before he comes and tries to take you. Anyways, Adora is coming upstairs to help you get dressed in Persian clothes so that your face will be covered so that if he does see us, he won't recognize you." Erik explained as calmly as he could. Walking over to the closet, he searched through the robes and clothes and silks until he finally found what he wanted: Persian women's clothing.

Christine was still shaking, but she gave Erik a slight nod, letting him know that she understood. Looking down at her arm, she wondered silently how she was going to change with the needle still connected to her arm…Shaking her head, she watched Erik rummaging through the closet, wishing that he didn't have to leave the room; she wanted him to stay as close as physically possible, especially now since she knew that Raoul was on his way.

She watched quietly as he placed a beautiful piece of clothing out on the bed then turned her attention back to her angel's face; he looked extremely tired…as if he hadn't really slept in days! _Am I the reason why he's so tired? God, that would be awful! We're not even married yet and already I'm doing a horrible job of taking care of him._

"Erik, you look exhausted. Are you alright?" she asked softly, placing her hand gently on top of his.

Erik stood for a moment, debating on whether or not he had time to tell her about his conversation with Ralph, but his mind seemed to be made up for him when he heard a hesitant knock on the door.

Opening the door, Adora peeked in and was glad to see that Erik already had the clothing already out. She walked silently over to the bed, picked up the clothing, and gave Erik a look that basically said, 'You have five seconds to leave or I will make you leave.' Giving her a slight nod, Erik placed a kiss on Christine's forehead before he headed towards the door and closed it shut.

In all honesty, Erik didn't want to be away from his darling, but he knew that it was highly indecent for him to be in there. _It was highly indecent what you two did that day! Don't forget that you made love to her before you were even married! What will happen if she becomes pregnant? What would happen if the child was born out of wedlock? You'll be even more of a monster!_ "No," he murmured to himself, "I'm not a monster! Plus, Christine wanted us to make love! It wasn't like it was just me! I was the one who told her to wait…it wasn't my fault!"

Trapped in his own thoughts, he didn't notice his brother coming up the stairs.

Ralph saw his brother muttering to himself and for the first time, he had to question Erik's sanity. Did he do that often? Walking over to him, Ralph placed his hand on the younger one's shoulder, but instead of breaking his brother out of whatever was going on him, he got a punch in the jaw.

Taking a few steps back, he held his jaw in his hand; he could already feel a bruise forming! "Damn, Erik! What the hell happened?"

Erik had felt a hand on his arm and he reacted on instinct, which was to punch whoever was touching him. Unfortunately, the person touching him happened to be his brother! Letting the haze clear from his head, he let out a groan of anger, cursing himself for what he had done.

"I'm sorry, Ralph. That actually hasn't happened in years; it only happens when I'm stressed out." Erik sighed. He couldn't remember the last time that his thoughts had taunted him…

"Well, I have to admit that it hurts, but we've got bigger problems. And trust me, you'll explain everything later, whether you want to or not." Ralph growled, checking to make sure that his jaw wasn't broken. _What is going on with him? Is he overly worried about Christine? Raoul? Maybe everything that has been going on lately._

Erik gave a jerky nod before he knocked on Christine's door, making sure that she was decent before he reentered the room.

"Come in." Adora called. She knew it was her sister's fiancé and she decided to hell with it: he could come inside if he wanted to! Seeing the door open, she made sure that Christine was covered up. She looked even more delicate with her whole body was covered up!

"I was just seeing if she was ready to go. I don't trust her walking so I was just going to carry Christine down the stairs." He stated bluntly.

"I'm fine, Erik! I can walk by myself. And can I ask you a tiny favor? Could you please get Mignon to take the needle out? It's been about an hour and that's when she said that it could come out."

"But don't you think you should keep it in?" Adora cut in. She could tell that Christine desperately wanted the needle to be out of her arm, but it was giving her the drugs that were making her feel better. "Perhaps you should keep it in until we get into the carriage; it'll just make things easier and I agree with Erik. I don't trust your legs yet and I don't want you to stumble down the stairs."

Christine gave a slight frown to her sister for agreeing with her Erik, but she finally glanced over at him and stretched her arms out, letting him know that he could pick her up. "And just for the record, I'm not happy with you." She gently teased, pulling down the veil so she could quickly place a kiss on his porcelain mask. _I hope I get well again. I know that I'm tiring him out._

^.^

Raoul gave a wicked grin when he saw the Persian's house coming into view. He was beyond excited to get his hands on his Christine and beautiful Adora! In fact, he was more excited to see Adora than Christine. _At least I know how great it is with Adora. If Christine disappoints me, which I'm sure she will, then Adora will do well. _

"Darius, let me off here. I can walk from here." He said dully. He could tell that his servant was feeling guilty for helping him, but then Raoul didn't give a damn. The man was a servant and he needed to know his place.

Nodding his head, Darius hopped off the driver's seat and opened the carriage door. He wanted to kill the Vicomte, or at least hinder him in some way, but he knew that the man had enough power that Darius could be hung within a day if he tried anything funny. But what if would be able to escape before the Vicomte could charge him of anything? What if he would be able to make it back to Persia? Surely his own country wouldn't betray him…

He watched the blonde headed fop move towards the house; he walked as if he were full of confidence and that he knew exactly what he wanted. Which he did. He wanted those innocent women and Darius finally decided that he wasn't going to just sit around and let him do that. Grabbing the gun that he always kept in the driver's seat, he crept up behind the Vicomte, trying to be as silent as possible and right when he started to knock on the door, Darius raised the gun and smacked the man in the back of the head.

Raoul cried out when he felt something hard hit the back of his head. Who could be attacking him? Maybe somebody who wanted his money! Turning around, he received another blow, this time to his forehead, and he only caught a glimpse of his attacker before he passed out…it was his servant. Darius.

The Persian man was shaking as he watched his master crumple to the ground. What if he had killed him? He had only meant to knock him out…Trying to get a grip on his emotions, he knocked frantically on the door yelling, "Open up! Open up! Please!"

Hearing the locks being turned, Darius sighed with relief when he saw a young man standing there, a wary look on his features. "What do you want?" he asked coldly. Ralph wasn't in the mood to be dealing with people; he just wanted to get into the carriage with his fiancé and be out of the country by the end of the day! Or at the very least on a boat.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, sir, but…but I'm Darius. I work, well work_ed_, is a better word, for the Vicomte Raoul de Chagny. Please, hear me out before you turn me away!" Darius pleaded. The young man gave an angry look when he had mentioned that he had worked for the Vicomte, but he appeared to have calmed down when he had asked to hear him out.

Ralph nodded, looking down at his feet and nearly jumped ten feet out of his skin: the Vicomte was lying face down at the front door! There was blood pouring out of his head and now that he looked closer, he saw that the Persian man was holding a gun, the butt of it red with fresh blood.

"You've got five seconds to explain what happened here before I run and get the police!"

"Sir, the Vicomte had explained to me what he was planning to do. At first, I didn't care; he had threatened to send me and my family back to Persia if I didn't cooperate, but then my better judgment kicked in and I-I couldn't bear to think of the girls getting harmed. So, I grabbed the gun that I always keep with me and I knocked him out." He explained quickly, trying hard not to speak in his native tongue. When he would speak fast, he would sometimes switch in and out of Persian and it frustrated people to no end!

"Alright…that explains why the rat is lying face down on the doorstep. Thank you for doing what you did. I should get the police, but once he comes around, he'll just be able to pay himself off so it's practically useless to get them involved." Ralph sighed, but then a particular thought crossed his mind. One that he actually thought would buy them some time. "If you'll follow me inside, Monsieur Darius, I have an idea that will keep the bastard here for awhile."

Darius gave a quick nod and followed the man inside. He suddenly felt homesick when he smelled the inside of the house, the spices and furniture reminding him of his homeland. _This definitely belongs to a Persian man with fine taste. I hope I can talk to him before I have to leave and get my family._

Ralph gestured for the man to sit down and he set off to find Nadir, wondering if the man had any rope inside the house. "Monsieur Khan! Monsieur Khan, I have a question for you!" he called, finally receiving an answer when he reached the back of the house. He saw Erik gently setting Christine inside the carriage, Adora was already inside with Mignon, and Nadir was hitching up the horses so that they could leave.

Hearing his name being called, Nadir lifted his head and motioned for the man to come over. He was preoccupied at the moment with the horses and he didn't want to stop his job. He could just talk to the boy while he finished his job.

"What do you need?"

"I need some rope. Do you have any?" Ralph asked, a wicked grin crossing his face.

"Rope? Why in the name of Allah do you need rope?"

"The Vicomte decided to pay us an unwelcomed visit and his servant knocked him out cold before he could even get inside! He's currently sitting on your doorstep bleeding from his head. I plan on tying him up and just leaving him here."

Nadir was stunned; the Vicomte was already here? And he was lying probably half dead on his doorstep? He was starting to regret letting these people into his house, but he was too deep into this now. He had promised that he would get everybody out of the country, come hell or high water.

"Follow me. I usually keep some rope in the closet; you never know when it will come in handy."

"This is definitely one of those times. You finish hitching up the horses and I'll get Erik to help me drag in Raoul. It'll be easy enough with the two of us." Ralph said, walking off and over to his brother, who was currently asking Christine how she was feeling.

"I'm feeling perfectly fine, mon chere. Please, stop worrying about me." She laughed. He didn't want to split the two up at the moment, but he needed help to get Raoul inside the house. Stepping up behind his younger brother, he tapped him on the shoulder and braced himself for another punch. Erik turned around, wondering who wanted his attention and gave a slight smirk when he saw it was Ralph. He noticed the bruise that was beginning to form on his jaw and he felt guilty that he was the cause of it.

"What do you need? We need to leave before Raoul shows up."

"Well, he's already showed up and he's currently knocked out on Nadir's front doorstep." Ralph wanted to laugh at Erik's face: he was shocked at first, and then a confused look took over his face before he finally broke down laughing. Apparently it was hilarious that the bastard was knocked out cold outside.

"Erik, what is so funny?" Christine asked, wondering why her love was nearly doubled over laughing.

"I-Its Raoul! Apparently he's unconscious out front! I'll be right back, mon ange. I need to help Ralph with something so if anything doesn't feel right, make sure you let Mignon know, alright?"

Christine felt her face drain of color when he said that Raoul had already arrived at the house, but a small smile spread across her face, but the color remained drained. She didn't like the thought of Raoul being here at the house…still the thought of him being out cold was pretty funny.

"Just be careful that he doesn't wake up. I don't want him to hurt you." She warned.

Just giving her a chuckle, Erik took off to find Ralph, who seemed to have disappeared while he was talking to his beloved. _Where could that man possibly go? It's not like this house is very big to begin with._ Then, he found him; he was standing beside a closet with a long, thick rope in his hands.

"Please tell me that you're not going to kill him. I mean, I'm all for it, but that's not exactly how I want to be labeled a murder." Erik teased, walking with his brother over to the front door.

"Don't worry so much! We're just going to tie him up somewhere so that we can buy ourselves some time. I mean, eventually people are going to notice that the Vicomte Raoul de Chagny is missing, but hopefully that won't be for a couple of days and by that point, little brother, we should be on a boat, sailing to America, or Sweden, or some country. Anywhere but here!" Ralph laughed, but it quickly stopped when he had opened the door: Raoul wasn't there. Who could have picked him up? And where was Darius? _Damn him! I knew something wasn't right! _

"Erik, run back to the carriage, now!"

Erik didn't need to be told twice; he ran as fast as he could through the house, but he was too late. Riding out on one of the horses that they were going to use to escape was Raoul, who was still bleeding from his head, with Christine slumped over in front of him.

**I'm going to end it here…just because I feel like being mean! To tell you guys the truth, I was starting to lose passion with this story. I was about ready to say screw it and put it as incomplete, but then I started writing more of it and I realized that I'll be able to finish this story, along with my other ones. Which I sincerely apologize for not finishing yet, but they will get done, I promise!**

**Erik: *sits in emo author corner* That's what you always say!**

**Me: Erik, get out of there! I thought we agreed that you wouldn't hide back there anymore!**

**Erik: Yeah, well…I lied! I'm going to sit here until this story is finished along with your other ones!**

**Me: Wait…how can you help me finish these stories if you're sitting in the emo author corner?**

**Erik:…Be quiet!**

**Me: Whatever. I'm not in the mood to bother with him. So, you guys know the drill: Review, review, and review. Oh, and did I mention to review? Have a good day you guys and thanks for reading!**

**^.^**


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